RUNNING
by dazzl
Summary: Sarah has finally had enough. When she packs up and leaves behind a past not worth remembering, she meets up with the team and finds her salvation. CHAPTERS 23 IS UP!!!!! R/R PLEEEASE!!!!
1. Default Chapter

I don't know where to begin. So many crazy things have happened. My mind is still wandering through the dementia; trying to piece everything together. It's funny, at one point I actually thought I was happy, really happy, you know. Not that fake emotion you wear as a mask, but the real thing, the one that makes your face light up when everything around you is falling apart. Happiness is something I never thought I would find, not with a track record like mine. I was, and still am a loser magnet. An abuser's punching bag. But when I finally decided to leave NJ at 22, I left without saying goodbye. I just slipped out one night and never looked back. I guess I should start my story from there, because that's where it gets interesting.  
  
I left around midnight on Wednesday night, which would actually be first thing Thursday morning. A bottle of crushed xanax into the boys' chili that night, and they were passed out by 11. I didn't take much with me because I didn't want to take anything that would remind me of this hell. The only thing I took was the case, my .22 a few clothes to get me by and my T-bird. IT was the only thing Anthony had ever given me. Most of the time, he took from me. He took my innocence, my vitality, my self respect. But my T-bird, she was a present, all for me. It was an anniversary/Christmas present. IT was the only time of our relationship that I enjoyed, for about a month we were happy; that is before he settled into his old ways again. It was the only thing he ever bought for me, unless you count him footing the bill for my numerous hospital visits. She was candy apple red. I had him put the candy paint on her special. A 2002 Thunderbird Convertible Special, 20" rims, chromed out with a Bose system installed and a small sub woofer in the back, just to add the extra oomph. She was my pride and joy. All the pain, the betrayal, the lonely nights, heart wrenching days; it was all behind me now. All that was getting further and further behind me as I drove. For no particular reason I headed west. It was the furthest place from the East Coast, and I wasn't stopping till I hit the other ocean. I lighted up a Newport and crossed over the bridge into PA. I let out a sigh of relief and pain as I left my home state forever.  
  
*****************************************************  
  
Leon was packing the Skyline.  
  
"Jess man, Hurry up, we gotta get going now"  
  
"I'm coming, I'm coming" Jess squawked as he tripped down the front porch.  
  
" Fast, not clumsy Dawg" Leon said laughing.  
  
"Whatever Leon" he said, brushing himself off "Are we ready"  
  
"Yep, I'll take first shift"  
  
"Good, I'm going back to sleep"  
  
They were just about to climb into the car when Dom came out of the house." Don't forget, when you get there, he has to sign for it, otherwise it wont be legit." He said handing Leon some papers," Keep your cells on at all times, Jess, you got better range, so make sure its charged, when you get to St. Louis, call me, Ill give you any other detail you need."  
  
Before they left, he briefly embraced them both. It was the first time he was letting anyone form his team leave for so long, and so far away. Leon just smiled as he started the engine. Jesse was chomping at the bit; his excitement barely contained as he bounced in the seat.  
  
"Ready" Leon said shifting the car in reverse and easing out of the driveway.  
  
"Hell Yeah" Jesse said as he stuck his head out of the car to wave goodbye to Dom.  
  
And with that, the Skyline peeled off down the street.  
  
Destination: St. Louis.  
  
**************************************  
  
  
  
It was 5:30 in the morning, the dawn had just begun to break through the night shadows, and the sky was changing her hues form the black and grays of night to the softest blue. As the birds welcomed the new day, I felt anxious for the return of night. I felt safer in the shadows. When the day broke, it was much easier to spot me. The glitter in my paint job caused heads to turn on a regular day. Now that I was trying to be inconspicuous, it wasn't helping. But there was no turning back. I was already passed Pittsburgh and on my way to---Salvation, wherever that was. I didn't stop driving until noon that Friday. After twelve straight hours of driving, with Mary J. Blige's "No more drama" on repeat, I finally began to feel relief. I was exhausted and hungry, but I was free. And the taste of that freedom was so sweet that I almost cried by the time the song ended for the fifth time in a row. I found a motel off the main highway with a little diner in the front. I parked the T, and locked everything I owned in the small, dingy room. I walked up to the diner and within 20 minutes, I ordered, ate, and paid my bill. By 1 pm I was sprawled out on the bed, sleeping the day away, anticipating the night.  
  
I heard the door slam and him cursing up the driveway. "This isn't good' I said to myself as I climbed out of bed and threw on my red silk robe before descending the stairs. ' maybe if I meet him half way I can catch him before he does any more damage;' I thought. Just as I reached the landing, the front door swung open and connected hard with the wall. I jumped at the sight of him and froze. Maybe coming down wasn't such a good idea. He stood there, panting like a wild animal. I could tell he was using because his eyes were glazed over. At first he didn't see me. I stood with my back against the wall, praying that he would go anywhere but up the steps. But no such luck. I felt his hands wrap around my neck, and my feet lift off from the floor. 'Bitch, you stupid fucking bitch' he slurred out of his mouth, I tried to fight him back, swinging, and kicking at him with all my might. But my efforts were futile. The harder I protested, the harder he would hit me, until he slammed my head into the wall. Everything went black. I woke up in a hospital, again, with tubes down my throat helping me breathe. My felt my throat, I could tell it along with my esophagus were bruised from his death grip the night before. I wasn't scared though. This has happened before. I turned my head to the door and saw him there, lurking in the doorway. "This can't go on anymore," he said, and then I saw the gun. Just as the bullet was entering my chest I sat up and screamed.  
  
I shot up in bed and screamed, holding tight onto my chest. I looked at my shirt, for any blood, but there wasn't any. I lifted it up but there were no marks on my skin. Suddenly I realized I wasn't in the hospital. I was still in the motel room. I fell back down on to the bed with a sigh. I wiped my forehead and I realized I was dripping wet from sweat. I jumped up and took a shower, rinsing of the sweat and the nightmare.  
  
"It's ok, it's just a dream," I told myself over and over again.  
  
When I got out it was 7:30, the twilight had started to transform the sky into a light purple. I was ready to be back on the road. Next stop Chicago. 


	2. The initial meeting

The next few days were pretty monotonous. MY schedule consisted of driving all night and sleeping all day. In three day I managed to cross2 states and make it into Chicago. It's a nice city, so different from Jersey, but Its not far enough away. It's only been four days since I left. Anthony has woken up by now, and knows I'm gone. I dot think he knows about the money yet, but its only a matter of time before he figures it out. I do have one advantage on my side; he has no idea where I am. But he has connections, and I don't want to risk being too close. I sleep here, but then I'm leaving again. But I guess everywhere I go will be alone. I went to a diner and pulled out my map. I decided to go to St. Louis. If I change my course a little it might be harder to find me.  
  
St Louis, nice city, cool arch. I decided to camp out here for a few days and plan my next move. Running blind in the middle of the night got me away from Anthony, but now I need to think about my life, and what I'm going to do with it. It's 9:30 in the morning and I have been driving for 2 days str8. It's been 10 days of driving total and I needed to take a break, and get some food. I found a best western just outside of St Louis with a beautiful view of an ihop across the street. I did my usual routine of getting my room, and parking T in the back, I was tired but my stomach protested my much needed rest. I locked up the money, and my .22, took out 50 bucks and walked over to the IHOP. The waitress seated me across from two men, close to my age I would assume. One caught my attention right away. His green eyes, and nicely toned body caught my attention first. He was wearing a black wife beater and blue jeans. Simple, yet very sexy. He notice me staring as I slid into my booth, so he leaned back in his seat a did a very obvious "one over' of me. My reaction turned form curious to annoyed at his gesture.  
  
"How ya doin"" a raspy voice called out to me.  
  
"Shitty" I snapped, I was in no mood for games with this guy.  
  
"Sorry to hear that, names Leon"  
  
"Sarah, can I get some coffee please?" I snapped to the waitress as she passed by with the pot. For a moment I was rid of my new pest, the waitress had blocked his view. Soon she was gone and Leon had scooted to the edge of his booth  
  
'Pleased to meet you Sarah"  
  
My 1st instinct was to snap at him like I did the waitress, but when I looked at him, I saw his eyes, staring at me, with an unseen compassion since my mother. I could feel my face transform form a sneer to a slight smile.  
  
'Sorry about that, i'm not a morning person'  
  
'Who is' the other one chimed in. He was younger then Leon and was fidgeting in the seat.  
  
"This is my …brother Jesse"  
  
"Nice to meet you'  
  
So are you gonna shake my hand or what"  
  
I didn't realize his arm was still extended  
  
'Oh god I'm sorry" I said reaching for his hand. He had a firm but gentle grip. For a moment I felt lost in his touch, but the waitress came back for my order and broke the silence.  
  
"I'll have a 3 egg omelet, sausage and cheese, pancakes, large OJ, and milk, and hash brown"  
  
Leon and Jesse stared at each other then at me  
  
"Damn girl, where do you put all that food: Leon said staring at me in disbelief. He finally broke me down and made me laugh.  
  
"Hey, I haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday, so back off, I've been on the road all night"  
  
"Where you headed"  
  
I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I didn't know how to answer his question. I lowered my eyes and stared at my coffee.  
  
"Hey, you ok" He said dipping his head down o meet my eyes  
  
"Um, yeah…thing is I don't really know where I'm going"  
  
"OK, lets start with an easier? where you room"  
  
"NJ"  
  
" A Jersey Girl huh, what you doing all the way out here?"  
  
"Well…guess you could say I'm running…or you could say I'm starting over."  
  
Leon and Jesse just nodded in unison, w/o even looking at each other.  
  
"Planning on staying here" Jesse asked  
  
"No, I'm going west, probably Cali, LA or something, I'm not really sure yet, but far away from Jersey"  
  
The waitress brought out our food and for a few moments it was quiet while we ate our respective plates. Leon finally broke the silence.  
  
"Yeah, were form LA, here in St Louis on some business"  
  
"You don't look like business men to me," I said causing Jesse to half choke on his pancakes.  
  
"Naw, we own a garage with some friend back in LA, we are out here, picking up a car"  
  
"Oh, I see" I said sippin my coffee.  
  
Jesse's cell phone rang and both of them focused on it, as if I wasn't even there, I just continued eating, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.  
  
"Hey Dom…yeah we're here…eating breakfast…yeah he's right here…" Jesse handed the phone to Leon  
  
" Yo Dawg…no problems…yeah…ok…got it…"  
  
Their conversation went into mumbles as they both leaned over the table to discuss whatever this Dom person had just told them. I had finished my breakfast and was about to pay the bill when they broke out of their whispers. Just as I was getting up to leave, Leon grabbed my wrist.  
  
"Hey"  
  
I swung around and threw him my ice glare; he got the message and let go.  
  
"Sorry, I uh.just didn't want you to leave yet, how long you gonna be in St Louis"  
  
"I don't know, long enough to rest and plan out my next move, why"  
  
'Well don't go until I get a chance to see you again'  
  
I cocked up one eyebrow and looked at him. Who does he think he is? He had some nerve coming on so strong  
  
"Oh really? And y should I"  
  
"Because I think I can help you plan your next move…you said you were going to LA right, well were leaving tomorrow morning, you can follow us"  
  
"YEAH!!" Jesse said jumping up  
  
"I don't know," I said shaking my head, I was wary of trusting anyone.  
  
"Look, you got your own car, its not like we're kid napping you…where are you staying"  
  
"There" I said pointing out the window  
  
"Perfect, so are we, where's your ride"  
  
"Behind the Hotel"  
  
He looked at me somewhat confused, but then I could see he was just trying to figure me out and look at my tits at the same time. He wasn't slick.  
  
"We'll drive you back to your room, then Jess, we can go handle our business and tomorrow morning we'll be on our way."  
  
I was wary of this guy. I had just met him and I wasn't about to get in his car. For all I knew, he was working for Anthony, and accepting a ride from him was like signing my own death sentence. But following him to LA wasn't such a bad idea. He was right. I would be driving Miss T, and if these guys turned out to be ok, I would have an escort for the rest of my trip. And that was a good thing.  
  
"I appreciate that, and I will follow you to LA, but my legs need some exercise after all that driving"  
  
"Suit yourself, we're leaving at dawn, say 5am?"  
  
"No Problem, I'm in room 208"  
  
Jesse paid the bill while Leon slipped into my booth. His sudden friendly attitude got a little too friendly for me. I scooted back in the booth and was about to rethink my decision of giving him my room number. He sensed my apprehension at gave me that look again. The one I hadn't seen since my mother.  
  
"Hey I don't bite"  
  
"No offense, but my guards been up since I left NJ"  
  
"I can respect that, a beautiful girl like you alone"…I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks "Look, me and Jess know what its like to run. I know you just met me, but you don't have anything to worry about with us ok?  
  
I let out a sigh and relaxed my death grip on the edge of the table.  
  
"Yeah, I'm still a little jumpy"  
  
"You've been driving all night"  
  
"Since Yesterday"  
  
"Then I suggest you go get some sleep, we're on a schedule and need to be back in LA by Friday. And with that he and Jesse left the IHOP and jumped into their yellow skyline.  
  
-------------  
  
She's cute" Jesse said getting in the car  
  
"Yeah she is, did you se that scar on her neck though"  
  
"No"  
  
"When we get back form getting the car, run her name"  
  
"All we know is Sarah Leon, I ant run that"  
  
"Which car you think is hers" He said pulling around back, there were only three cars.  
  
"The red one Leon"  
  
"You sure,"  
  
"Hell yeah" he said jumping out to write down her plates"  
  
"Ok, run it tonight"  
  
---------------  
  
I recognized the car b/c of Anthony had chopped one down only 3 months before. 'Nice Machine" he said, "Shame to chop a beauty like this" I shook my head and Rid Anthony's image form my mind. I got back to the room around 11. As soon as I shut the door, I stripped down and jumped in the shower. The water beat down on my neck and shoulders. I could still see the bruises, but they were starting to change color. Getting black and blue and losing their swollen red circles. Soon they would be brown and yellow and even sooner after that they would be gone forever. I started laughing as the water ran down my body. The Freedom hit me again, but this time not in the shadows of pain but in the new light of my future. I toweled off and threw on a pair of sweat and a Tee shirt. I was passed out by noon. 


	3. haunting memories and background

I slept the whole day and didn't wake until I heard a bang on my door. I jumped out of bed and ran to my suitcase where my .22 was. I checked the chamber and cocked it back when another round of bangs echoed through my room.  
  
"Sarah, Sarah you in there"  
  
My heart raced, I could feel the sweat collecting at my brow. H9w could he have found me already? I didn't want to kill him, but God I will if I have to. I crept up to the door and unlocked the deadbolt, but left the chain on.  
  
"Whose there1" I yelled out from behind the safety of the door  
  
"Sarah, its Leon, you awake, we rolling out soon"  
  
Slowly I opened the door and saw a pair of emerald eyes staring back at me. I closed the door, threw the gun in the drawer, undid the chain and opened the door.  
  
"God I must have slept all day and night" I said rubbing my eyes  
  
"You must have been tired"  
  
"Yeah, guess I needed it"  
  
He looked me up and down, licking his lips. He tried to be casual about it, but I caught on.  
  
"Oh please, there's nothing sexy about sweats"  
  
"If you say so," he said flashing me an innocent smile  
  
"Whatever Leon" I said trying to contain my own smile. "How much time do I have"  
  
"We're leaving in an hour"  
  
He left and I took a quick shower and changed into a pair of baggy jeans, an oversized tee shirt and a pair of Reeboks. I was already downstairs loading Miss T up when Leon and Jesse came around the corner.  
  
"HA, Leon you owe me fifty bucks" Jesse said jumping up and down  
  
"What r u guys talking about"  
  
Jesse just smiled" I knew that was your car, Leon didn't believe me"  
  
I just laughed  
  
"It's no Skyline, but she's fast, pretty, and corner's beautifully"  
  
"Not bad, but she's no racer"  
  
"I don't race, I drive"  
  
"We'll see"  
  
We checked out and were on the road by 5:20am. Leon was in front in the Skyline, me in Miss T, and Jesse pulling up the rear in the new _______ that they had just picked up.  
  
We took the highway into the desert and flushed through most of it. I think Leon was trying to lose me or impress me, but he couldn't do either. I stayed with him, and even pulled up to him atone point  
  
"Tryin to lose me?"  
  
"Just want to see if you could hang with us:"  
  
"I would pass your ass, but I don't know where I'm going" I said falling back in line. I could see he had a walkie-talkie and when I looked back, Jesse had one too. So they're talking about me. Fine, let 'm  
  
Jesse and Leon on the walkie-talkies in between Sarah  
  
'Hey Jess'  
  
'Yeah'  
  
'What did you find out about her last night"  
  
'Nothing, she's clean, no arrests, no misdemeanors, only a few traffic tickets, want me to call Dom now"  
  
"No, I will"  
  
Leon picked up his phone and called Dom  
  
"Yo Dawg"  
  
"Hey Leon you got it"  
  
"Yeah, plus picked up a girl, she's following us back to LA"  
  
"Leon!"  
  
"Relax Dawg, Jesse ran her plates, and she's clean, besides…. she's running form something, we met her in St Louis, and she's from Jersey…and I saw a nasty scar on her neck so…"  
  
"SIGH… fine Leon, we'll check her out when she gets here"  
  
"She's no threat Dom, I wouldn't bring her if she was"  
  
"Just get home" 


	4. meeting the team

We made it into LA a day ahead of schedule. We flew through the desert. It was beautiful. I drank in all of the colors and landscapes as I followed Leon into the city. Such a beautiful world outside of NJ. The further we went, the beautiful it looked to me. When we finally reached the city. I was tired, but so excited; I could barely keep my eyes on the road. What a city, reminded me of NYC but sunnier, and free. I followed Leon into a gas station. He got out and came over to me.  
  
"We have to go drop off the ____ at the garage, you can meet the rest of the team there, and I told them you were coming"  
  
"When?"  
  
"Yesterday, when we were going through Nevada, c'mon you ain't got nowhere to go anyway, I'll take you our store to, get you something to eat" he said with a big smile on his face " I know your hungry."  
  
I really didn't have anywhere to go, and I had to stop and think, so I nodded in agreement. We pulled up to a garage a few miles off the highway. I paid attention just in case I had to run again. I parked across the street behind Leon while Jesse drove the ____ into the garage. As I got out of the car I saw 2 men emerge form the back. One was big, muscular, he reminded me of Anthony, but this guy was bald. The other one was built to, but he had this scruffy, dirty look about him. They charged Jesse and bare hugged him, lifting him off the ground. I smiled as Leon came over.  
  
"That big guy is Dom, the dirty one is Vince" Leon said  
  
"They seem happy you guys are home"  
  
"That's because we're always together, c'mon I'll introduce you"  
  
Just as he said that a girl came out. She was pretty with jet-black hair that came to her shoulders, and black eyes. She was wearing cut off shorts and a wife beater cut out so her toned stomach could show. She reminded me of the Puerto Rican girls back in NJ. I looked down at my baggy jeans and baggy tee shirt, and I suddenly felt self-conscious. I was dressed like one of the guys. I hesitated, but Leon took my hand and led me across the street  
  
"Hey Dawg" Leon said as he let me go and embraced Dom  
  
"Glad you home man…any problems"  
  
"Smooth Sailing Dawg, picked me up a little extra along the way… Sarah this is Dom, Dom Sarah"  
  
Dom looked me over with his head cocked to the side. "Pleasure"  
  
"Nice to meet you"  
  
"Leon told me all about you, Jersey girl huh"  
  
"That's right"  
  
"Well, welcome to LA" he said as he put his arm around Leon and led him back to the garage. I stayed behind them up the drive.  
  
"Vince, Letty, this is Sarah"  
  
Vince came right over and introduced himself, but Letty just scared at me giving me one of those "You are on my territory" looks. I just smiled.  
  
"Nice to meet you"  
  
"Yeah" was all I could get out of her.  
  
"Hey Sarah, give me a minute, then we'll go" Leon said calling form the back of the garage. Great, now I was stuck with this girl who obviously didn't like me.  
  
"OK" I said and walked back to my car, pulling out my cigs. I didn't realize that anyone was behind me until I heard a voice.  
  
"Decent" I jumped and spun around to see Letty  
  
" Oh Miss T, yeah I love her"  
  
"Probably can't race for shit"  
  
"She's faster than she looks, besides I don't race"  
  
"Yeah" she said, looking me up and down, "I can tell"  
  
It was obvious that this Letty character wasn't impressed with my arrival. She stared me down, waiting for my reaction, any reaction, so she could have an excuse to pounce. I've dealt with girls like her before on the east coast. I decided to play her game with my own little twist. I'd kill her with kindness.  
  
"It's that obvious" I said laughing, "You smoke?" I said offering her one of my cigarettes. She looked at me in shock but eventually her face loosened as she smiled  
  
"I'm not supposed to, Dom would flip"  
  
I cocked my head to the side, and looked at her passed my glasses.  
  
"Are you serious"  
  
"Aw Fuck it, gimme one" That's right Letty, I am not no threat, so don't treat me like one.  
  
We both took a few drags in silence until she broke it with an aggressive question.  
  
"So, do all the girls in NJ dress like dudes, or just you"  
  
I didn't know how to respond to her question. I looked down at my outfit, and then looked at her.  
  
"I guess the fashion scene is different over here huh"  
  
"Hell Yeah honey, are all your clothes like that"  
  
"I uh…well…yeah"  
  
"Oh, we are going to have to go shopping…wait till you meet Mia, she'll close down shop early for a crisis like you" she said laughing.  
  
I suddenly felt self-conscious again. I did look like a tomboy, but that was how Anthony wanted me to dress. I was never allowed to accent my features. I was always dressed plain and low key. It was habit. I leaned up against Miss T and glanced back at my suitcase. Still safe. I took inventory of the rest of the contents in the car, including my .22 in between the seats when I heard Letty.  
  
"Shit, there's Dom" she said flicking the cigarette "Do you have any-"  
  
I already had a pack of gum in my hand offering it to her.  
  
"Here you go"  
  
"No shit… you're all right Sarah," She said patting me hard on the back. I tried to hide the pain in my face but Leon saw me as he walked out with Dom.  
  
"You all right" Suddenly all attention was focused on me.  
  
"I'm fine, but starved, didn't you say you were taking me somewhere to eat."  
  
Dom and Letty laughed as he threw his arm around her and walked back into the garage.  
  
"Yeah, you mind we take your car, Dom needs to work out a few kinks on mine"  
  
Here we go again. He wants to get into my car, my only safe haven for the past few weeks. But what was this guy, his friends, and I thinking was not Anthony. I was thousands of miles away from him, from all of that.  
  
"Sure hop in, but you gotta tell me where I'm going"  
  
"Only a few blocks away, you can show me how this baby handles," he said jumping over the door and sliding his body into the passenger seat. I looked at him and laughed.  
  
Miss T held her own and preformed as well as I said she would. We pulled up in front of a store called Toretto's"  
  
"For someone who doesn't race you sure can handle a car"  
  
"I never said I couldn't"  
  
He smiled with that beautiful smile again" No, no you didn't"  
  
I walked in and saw young women behind the counter. Leon took y hand and led me around the back  
  
"Mia, this is Sarah, Sarah, Mia"  
  
"Nice to meet you" I said extending my hand  
  
"OH, the Jersey girl, welcome to LA, how you like it so far"  
  
"Not as smoggy as I thought it would be" My corny little joke helped to ease the tension that was building up inside me as we all laughed.  
  
As Mia was laughing she took a better look at me, suddenly her face went serious  
  
"Oh damn girl, don't tell me all Jersey girls dress like that"  
  
I couldn't help but laugh this time, Letty was right.  
  
"That's what your friend just said to me"  
  
"Letty? Yeah she knows me to well, Girl we HAVE to go shopping"  
  
"Not until you feed us first" Leon said "We've been driving forever"  
  
"Oh, sorry, what will it be"?  
  
"Anything fast and filling" I said  
  
"Your kind of girl" Mia said as she turned away to the grill  
  
I could feel my face getting flushed and returned to the bar before Leon could see me. He sat next to me and lit up a cig, and mine as we waited for our food.  
  
"So, here you are…in LA…what are you gonna do now"  
  
"I don't Leon, I don't know… guess find a hotel"  
  
"Oh don't worry about that, you can crash with us"  
  
I just looked at him in shock. I knew he was a nice guy and his friends seemed to be ok, but I never thought he would open his home to me. I felt uneasy again.  
  
"Us?" I said. It was all I could think of to say.  
  
"Yeah, we all live together, ME, Dom and Letty, Mia and Brian, Vince and Jess."  
  
"You sound a little crowded already, I don't want to impose"  
  
"Your not imposing, I already cleared it with Dom so it's settled"  
  
"No, its not Leon, you cant settle anything for me, without my say"  
  
Mia came back with some cheeseburgers.  
  
"Mia will you tell her its cool for her to crash at our crib"  
  
"Oh yeah, girl, my brother already said you could"  
  
"Your brother?"  
  
"Yeah Dom, he's kind of our leader, or father figure, or whatever you want to call it"  
  
I just kept shaking my head "No, I can't. Leon, you did enough for me already, but really no"  
  
"Where else are you going to go?" he said looking at me as if he was hurt by my rejection.  
  
"I don't know, I can find a hotel"  
  
"No you wont" I heard a deep, demanding voice say behind me. It was Dom and a blonde haired kid with him.  
  
"Dom, really I couldn't possibly-"  
  
"Brian, this is Sarah" Dom said changing the subject  
  
"Nice to meet you" I said towards him, then turning to Dom" Dom really-"  
  
"The Jersey Girl huh" Brian said. I looked at Leon in disbelief  
  
"What exactly did you tell everybody about me?"  
  
Before Leon could open his mouth, Dom answered me  
  
"That you were from NJ on your way to LA, had no place to go, and was cute"  
  
I just shook my head and smiled. I couldn't believe it.  
  
"So now you have a place to crash, no arguments"  
  
I felt trapped in the corner. All of them were looking at me waiting for my response. Leon looked as if he were going to pass out if I said no. And for that reason alone, against my better judgment, I let out a sigh of defeat.  
  
"Fine"  
  
"Good it's settled. Mia you can close up and show Sarah around. Leon I need you backs to at the garage."  
  
Leon got up and winked at me as he left the store. I smiled back and watched as Brian stole a kiss from Mia before following the guys out. Dom was the last to leave, and before he did he stopped and turned back around.  
  
"By the way, sweet ride". And before I could respond, he was gone.  
  
I could tell there was no talking to these people. Whatever Leon had told them about me before our arrival must have hit a nerve with all of them because Dom wasn't trying to hear it. I was surprised to see Mia so excited about shopping. I was never into girly things, and always wore baggy clothes to hide the scars and bruises. I suddenly felt fear creep up inside me. What if Mia wanted me to try on slinky clothes? 


	5. shopping, secrets revealed

"We have got to get you into some better clothes" she said as she was cleaning the counter. "It'll be a while until I have the books done for today though"  
  
I got an idea.  
  
"Mia, I used to do all the book back home for Ant…uh, my ex, I could help you out if you want"  
  
"Sure, that would be great, it's just matching the receipts to the till"  
  
She said pulling out the book and the register drawer. I began right away. I never liked taking hand outs, so I felt a little better knowing I was returning the favor even if by a little. We were quiet for some time while I balanced out the book. I dint realize that my shoulder was visible. My tee had slinked down passed my shoulder. I heard a gasp from Mia and looked up but her back was already turned to me. I looked at my shoulder and saw a nasty bruise peeking out from the collar. I quickly fixed my shirt a pulled my hair on my face, just in case she saw the scar too. Here we go again. I thought to myself, but she didn't say anything and went into the back. By the time she came back I had the books done.  
  
"Your $16.53 over"  
  
"Over? Are you sure"?  
  
"Positive" I said as she turned the book to check for herself  
  
"No shit, that's a first…you're pretty good at that, and fast too"  
  
"When you do it every day for years, it becomes second nature"  
  
"You ever go to school for this stuff"  
  
"I started to back in NJ but…." My voice trailed off as I followed my memories back to NJ, the days at college, the fun I used to have, my mother, losing her, gaining Anthony.  
  
"Hey, snap out of it" Mia said, forcing me back to reality  
  
"Sorry, memories are still a little fresh, you know"  
  
"C'mon, lets get outta here, you can tell me about NJ on the way"  
  
I followed her out of the store.  
  
"Nice car, yours"  
  
"Yeah that's my baby… 3.9 L V8 engine, had my ex put some extra power in her so she runs at 350 instead of the standard 252 horses. She has a good power to weight ratio too… 1409 lbs per horse.  
  
"Wow, you know a lot about cars?"  
  
"I know a lot about this car, and enough to get by on others, my ex was more into cars then I was"  
  
"Racing?"  
  
"Stealing."  
  
Mia's mouth roped, as I rolled my eyes  
  
" He owns a chop shop out in NYC, seen a lot of nice cars go in and out of there, when she came in I begged and pleaded with him to let me have her. He finally folded, and gave her to me. Probably the only nice thing the bastard ever did for me" We both laughed, although I think I was laughing to keep the moo light.  
  
" Not much room for shopping bags, we can drop your car off at the house, then take mine," She said pointing to an Aquamarine _________.  
  
I followed her a few miles to the house. It was pretty big, but considering how many people were living there, it looked just right. I parked my car up in the driveway in front of the garage with Mia behind me. Just as we were getting out of the car a white Jetta pulled up screeching to a stop in front of the house.  
  
"I know you ain't going without me" I heard a woman scream. I saw Letty getting out of the passenger side with Jesse driving. As soon as she got out of the car, Jesse waved and peeled down the street. The three of us piled into the car, with me in the back, and were on the road in 2 minutes. While driving, they asked me about NJ, how I liked it in LA so far. I told them about my sister and my niece, how I missed her so much it hurt. I told them about my parents, how I never met my dad, and how my mother wasn't around. I couldn't bring myself to tell them the truth. It was just too hard. Besides, I was beginning to enjoy myself, and I didn't want to ruin the mood. We got to what I guess was their shopping hot spot, and we all piled out of the car. As soon as I walked into the store Letty pulled my tee shirt tight around my body.  
  
"You gotta flaunt that off girl" she said before she vanished into the store. I started slowly picking through the racks. Everything was half what it was supposed to be. I got scared. How was I going to get through this without them seeing anything? I was embarrassed and scared as to what they might think. Before I could think of a way to get out of it. Mia grabbed my arm and took me to the fitting room.  
  
"Here, start with these" she said handing me 6 different pairs of daisy dukes, hot pants, and halter-tops  
  
"I can't wear-"  
  
"Yes you can, just try it…. And I'm waiting right here" she said as she pulled the curtain.  
  
I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. I tried to find some thing out of the clothes Mia gave me that wasn't to revealing, but it was pointless. I decided on a pair of white hot pants and a red halter-top with half the back out. I turned around and looked in the mirror. I actually looked good. I could see passed the bruises and scars.  
  
"Well??"  
  
"I.actually.good"  
  
"Let me see! OH MY GOD SARAH!" she said as she pulled the curtain back. I tried to turn around, but it was too late she had already seen it. Her face went white and her hand was covering her mouth.  
  
"Its not as bad as it looks Mia"  
  
She didn't say anything, just put her hand on my shoulder and turned me around. I could feel her fingers tracing the bruises and scars down my back. She stopped at the largest one.  
  
"Wha-How, Sarah what happened to you"  
  
I reached around a felt my scar  
  
"Oh that, a busted kidney, I had to get it removed, Mia, it was 2 years ago, it doesn't hurt." I said trying to sound convincing.  
  
"Yeah but the rest of you… JESUS CHRIST!"  
  
Before I could explain I heard Letty calling us fro in the store.  
  
"Please Mia, don't say anything, just help me find some clothes to cover it up ok" I looked at her pleading. Thank God she only saw my back and not the rest of me, she would have fainted.  
  
"Yeah…um.less…revealing, got it," She said, stumbling backwards out of the fitting room. I just sat down on the bench and hung my head in my hands. This was getting off on the right foot, I though tot myself. A Few minutes later, she came back with some Capri's and baby tees. "Here you go, this should, work"  
  
"Mia, it ok realy, the bruises are almost healed, that's why they look so nasty"  
  
"Yeah but Sarah, there's so many, I mean, is it just your back, or-"  
  
"My back mostly" I said putting my hand on her shoulder. I was actually trying to reassure her, as she was the one covered in these marks. "Mia, its ok, I'm here in LA now, remember"  
  
Suddenly her face went from shock to realization. I could barely hear her whispers.  
  
"Oh god, that's why you ran isn't it"  
  
"The major reason why" I tried to change the subject, holding up a pair of Capri's she picked out for me " These are cute, I like the prints on these".  
  
I guess she got picked up on my sad attempt to change the subject and humored me.  
  
"Yeah um-"  
  
"Hey chicas, find anything for her yet" Letty said coming into the fitting room. Mia shut my curtain.  
  
"Yeah she'd trying it on now" Thank You Mia. I came out in the Capri's a tee shirt.  
  
"Still Conservative, but you just got here, so we'll let it go for now" Letty said laughing. I grabbed some flare jeans, a few more less reveling shirts and grabbed the hot pants and halter-top too. I would be able to wear those soon enough. 


	6. chapter 6

We left the store, and pulled off listening to Tank and Ja Rule on the radio. It's one of my favorites, and I just couldn't help myself. I started singing.  
  
In my race against time I. can't stop  
  
Running through the Red Lights Living my Life Even if I'm getting to hot Imma keep running through the Red Lights.  
  
I was hitting the notes an octave higher then the song in perfect pitch. Mia and Letty looked at each other but didn't say anything. At first, I didn't even notice, but after I sang out the refrain Letty turned down the music.  
  
"Yo, chica, You can sing your ass off girl!"  
  
My face got hot, I could feel the hues in my face transform from my pale skin to my flushed undertones.  
  
"Aw, girl, don't be embarrassed" Mia said glancing in her rearview mirror.  
  
"Yeah, Girl" Letty chimed in, now already turned completely around in the passenger seat.  
  
"No, I really can't sing that good, your just hearing me harmonize with the music. If I sang solo, you wouldn't think it was that good."  
  
"Whatever girl"  
  
"Your good" They both said agreeing with each other instead of telling me. I was desperate to change the subject, I thought of the first thing I could.  
  
"Hey you guys like Eminem, I got his new CD"  
  
"Hell Yeah, put that shit in" Letty said as Mia turned the corner and started heading back to the garage. I noticed how she put the CD in and had "Who's back" blasting by the time we got a block away at the stop sign. Mia and Letty looked at each other, both with evil grins on their faces.  
  
"Do it"  
  
The next thing I knew I was thrown back against the seat. Then she shifted and for a split second I was thrown forward, only to be thrown back again a split second later. I glanced out the window only to see a glimpse of Leon standing in front of the garage throwing his hands in the air. Then we were gone. Mia finally slowed down and made a u-turn, pulling up in front of the garage, both of them laughing hysterically. I could barely breathe. I was so excited. The rush of the wind, even from the backseat, and the speed, oh god the speed; it was a symbol of that same freedom, my freedom. I started laughing with them.  
  
"How's that for a race car, bet you little Miss T can't do that." Letty said, only causing Mia to laugh even harder. She could barely breathe. One look at her practically in tears, and I lost it. I was in tears from laughing. I laughed so hard, the tears turned from joy to pain. My sides began to ache and my back was getting sore.  
  
"Stop, please, stop Mia, stop " I said half laughing and half crying. Letty turned around and saw my expression change.  
  
"Hey you all right" she said, suddenly concerned  
  
"Yeah, that was awesome"  
  
"Are you sure, you look like you are about to puke"  
  
Mia looked up and saw my face. "She's fine" she said, trying to convince Letty, just then I heard a loud slam on the roof of the car. We all looked to see Leon standing at the drivers side door, fuming.  
  
"What the hell you think you're doing Mia, you trying to scare the hell outta her"  
  
"I'm fine, that was fun" I said, I felt bad he was yelling at Mia.. But I wasn't lying either. It was the most fun I had in a while. It was fast, and free. It was wonderful.  
  
"You sure" he said staring at me.  
  
"She's fine Le-"  
  
"I don't want to hear it Mia. I cant believe you did that."  
  
Letty just rolled her eyes, and I could tell she was going to say something smart. I didn't want them to argue because of me, so I cut her off before she could say anything.  
  
"Relax, Leon, I'm fine. Really. That was fucking awesome!"  
  
Letty looked at Mia then at me, and all 3 of us started to laugh again. By this time, Vince and Jesse had already made it outside to see what all the commotion was about. I noticed how Leon didn't find anything funny, so I tried to appease the situation some more.  
  
"I felt like I was back in Philadelphia, watching the races. I've just never been in a car racing before. MUCH better then just watching it."  
  
Letty was already out of the car and I was climbing out of the back.  
  
"Leon, relax, I'm fine" I said half laughing  
  
" I just don't want these 2 scaring you off the first day, that's all"  
  
"Why Leon, are you Sarah's official bodyguard or something" Letty said trying to fit as much sarcasm as she could into her statement. I felt my face starting to burn with embarrassment. I was unfamiliar with such light hearted sarcasm. I was always around such seriousness, such dreary circumstances, that I was still trying to adjust to their antics. Vince picked up on my uneasiness right away.  
  
"Stop Letty, your embarrassing the poor girl" he said.  
  
"Awww, Sarah, there's nothing to be embarrassed about, you have an admirer, that's all."  
  
I lowered my gaze and looked at the ground. I didn't know what to say or do. My thoughts got interrupted when I felt an arm drape over my shoulders, it was Mia.  
  
"Shit, I admire her too, driving cross country solo- that takes guts girl"  
  
I just smiled. Suddenly Dom was standing in the doorway to the garage. He was watching us carry on, a faint smile lit up his face.  
  
"Excuse me for a second" I said dipping out of Mia's hold. I walked over to Dom. He just stood there, with his arms crossed over his chest watching me approach. For a split second I saw Anthony there, not Dom. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Its not real. I said to myself, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Dom again.  
  
"Dom, I uh, I'm not so good with words and all, but, well, I wanted to say thank you"  
  
He didn't say anything, just continued staring at me.  
  
"I mean with you letting me crash and all. I swear I wont out stay my welcome, and I'll be outta your way as soon as-"  
  
"Mia tells me your pretty good with numbers"  
  
"I, Um, yeah I guess so" how had he known that.  
  
"Tomorrow, when you wake, come by the store, I want you to take a look at the books for me"  
  
"Yeah, sure"  
  
He turned around and started walking back into the garage where Brian was working on a RX-7. He turned around and that faint grin crept back up onto his face.  
  
"Your welcome"  
  
I could feel the smile growing on my face until my cheeks stretched.  
  
So this is what happy feels like. This is freedom. I didn't know much about these people, but I knew they all had good hearts. I turned back around still smiling and banged right into Leon.  
  
"You got a beautiful smile you know that? " He said poking at one of my dimples, "You should show it off more often"  
  
"Now that I'm here, I think you'll see it more often" I said flirtatiously. What was I thinking?!? How could I be flirting with him, I barely even know him. But I felt his fingers trace the outline of my face, and I melted.  
  
"Good" he said smiling back  
  
"MMMMHMMMM" I heard from behind Leon. I glanced over and saw Letty and Mia looking at me like I just stole something. Leon rolled his eyes and walked into the garage, with Vince and Jesse close behind.  
  
"I told you" Letty said to Mia  
  
"Oh stop it" I said half laughing, "Hey guys can you do me a favor"  
  
"Yeah what you need girl  
  
"Take me to the food store" 


	7. chapter 7

When the guys got home from the garage it was around 9 pm. The aroma hit them in the face as soon as Jess opened the front door.  
  
"God Damn it smells good in here" Dom said sniffing the air, "Mia, what you cooking in there girl?" he called out to the kitchen only to see Mia emerge from the living room.  
  
"I'm not, Sarah wanted to do something nice for you guys, so she is in the kitchen cooking up a storm"  
  
Leon was the last one in the door. When he heard Mia mention my name, he made a dash for the kitchen. He stood in the doorway and watched me for. I don't know how long. I had my back to him stirring the sauce and browning the meatballs. I started singing Bohemian Rhapsody, and just finished the first verse when I heard him.  
  
"A queen fan too huh" I must have jumped 10 feet in the air  
  
"Jesus, you scared the hell outta me"  
  
"Sorry, smells great in here, reminds me of growing up"  
  
"Wanna taste it?"  
  
"Its not store bought is it"  
  
"No self-respecting Italian eats store bought" I said firmly. He just laughed and came in close for a taste. I was fixed on those lips. I felt my lips part slightly as if I was involuntarily inviting him in.  
  
"That's delicious.cute smile and she can cook!"  
  
"Wait till you taste the meatballs, they'll melt in your mouth"  
  
"MMM" he said licking his fingers" When will it be ready?"  
  
"Oh, it has to simmer for at least another half hour"  
  
"Aight, I'm gonna go take a shower" I didn't realize he had taken my hand. When I noticed, I pulled back without thinking. Instantly I regretted it. He just looked at me, and then walked out.  
  
"Good going Sarah, real smooth" I said out loud, cursing myself  
  
"What happened" I heard a female voice answer. I turned around to see Letty "Nothing, well something, shit I don't know"  
  
"Let me give you some advice when it come to Leon. He has a good heart and is very loyal. It can take him some time to show his interest. But if he is interested- which I know he is-he will be patient."  
  
"Really?'  
  
"Yeah"  
  
" Thanks Letty"  
  
Suddenly Vince busted into the kitchen  
  
"When's the grub ready?"  
  
"Half hour" I said going back to the sauce so Vince wouldn't see my tears that had swelled up in my eyes.  
  
I heard him grunt, then walk out of the kitchen. Letty came over and put her arm around me.  
  
"Don't worry girl. it smells great"  
  
Mia helped me set the table. I made a huge antipasto, homemade sauce and meatballs over angel hair pasta and real garlic bread. I wanted to accent the palette just right so I had Mia take me to the liquor store to buy a few bottles of '82 Bordeaux to accompany dinner. When everyone was called to dinner, they filled the doorway looking at my creation. "Damn girl, you went all out!" Jess said, his mouth watering  
  
"Just my way of saying thank you to all you guys, now sit down before it gets cold"  
  
We all sat down, Leon next to me, and started eating. Everyone was complimenting the food, and my choice of wine.  
  
"Nice pick, but I'm a corona man myself," Vince said emerging from the kitchen with a few bottles; he passed one to Dom and Brian.  
  
"More for me then" I said smiling. I couldn't believe it. I was actually having a civilized dinner with adults. No flying dishes, no cursing, no arguments. I could feel the tears of joy swell up as I looked around the table.  
  
"You ok?" Leon whispered to me as he gently placed a comforting hand on my knee. I laid my hand on top of his and smiled.  
  
"Yeah, been a long time since I was this happy, I feel at peace you know?"  
  
"Yeah I do know," he said squeezing my leg gently. ***** 


	8. chapter 8

TITLE: RUNNING Chapter 8 AUTHOR: Daaasl RATING: PG-13 SUMMARY: DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Mia, Letty, etc. are not mine. All other characters are mine all mine, though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: Yes. Please. Drop me a line and we can talk. FEEDBACK: Yes! I want to know what you think. But please make It constructive and friendly  
  
When dinner was finished Brian and Mia insisted on the cleanup. I sat down on the couch and lit up a cigarette before Leon came and joined me on the couch.  
  
" So what do you wanna do?"  
  
My eyes lit up at the offer and, I turned to face him.  
  
" I want to go for a drive up the coast. I want to smell the ocean air, and drink in the scenery. I want to go out.away. I want to soak up my surroundings" I said, rambling on about everything I wanted to see. The words came flying out of my mouth before I even realized how idiotic I sounded. I sank my head down but Leon lifted it and stared at me.  
  
"You're starting to like it here aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah, I am".  
  
Without warning, Leon bolted off the couch and pulled me up with him. He led me to the foyer and grabbed his keys. I planted my feet and put my hands over his in protest. He stopped and looked at me.  
  
"What?"  
  
"No. Miss T needs to feel this too." I said, taking his keys out of his hands and grabbing mine.  
  
"Feel what"  
  
"The freedom."  
  
He dropped his head and let out a small laugh before he took a few steps closer to me. I felt his hands encompass mine. For a brief moment we were the only two people in the room; the house; hell -- the whole world. Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore and was ready to attack Leon's lips, Dom came into the room.  
  
"Yo Leon. Tomorrow I need you to -- Oh!" he said, realizing he had interrupted something. But Leon didn't back away. He wasn't embarrassed to be so close to me, even though I was dying a thousand deaths.  
  
"I'm taking Sarah for a ride, she wants to-what was it again?" he said, turning his head back to me. My hands were still sandwiched between his, pressing my body against him..  
  
"Soak up my surroundings!" I said playfully to Dom, trying to casually allow some space between me and Leon. But Leon wouldn't have it, and held onto me firmly .  
  
"Oh. All right. But don't let him scare you Sarah"  
  
"He doesn't scare me." I heard myself call out to Dom as he was climbing up the steps. Was it true? Was I really that comfortable with Leon? I looked back at Leon trying to hide the shock of my statement, but I saw the joy in his eyes and decided I must be at ease around him. It had been 2 weeks since I left NJ. I was almost healed. The bruises were almost gone and the scars weren't as prominent. Ever since St Louis, Leon had been right by my side. Somehow he knew I needed someone to lean on, and he was more then willing to give me the support I needed. He wasn't pushy or demanding, and he let me go at my own pace. That was something I was definitely not used to. I felt a connection with Leon. I wasn't quite sure what it was just yet, but I knew that we worked well together. I even let him drive Miss T. Since I didn't really know my way around anyway, I allowed him control over something I wasn't willing to give up that easily.  
  
Leon took me up the coastline while I rested my head and stared out the window, letting the salty breeze fill my face and hair.  
  
"Beautiful." I managed to whisper as I watched the sunset over the cliffs of the Coast.  
  
"Yeah, it sure is." he said. I looked over to him and found him staring at me instead of the sunset. I smiled and allowed him to take my hand. We rode in silence, listening to my Blackstreet tape that was still in the tape deck. The song "JOY" came on, and I started singing. By the time the song was over, we had arrived at our destination.  
  
"You have a voice of an angel Sarah." Leon said very matter-of-factly.  
  
I couldn't help but laugh. "No. I'm not that good"  
  
"Yeah, ok," He replied sarcastically. "Will you sing for me?"  
  
"Now?!"  
  
"No. Not right now, but someday.soon"  
  
"Fine. Whatever." I said. "Where are we?" I changed the subject when I realized we were off the road in a small parking lot with nothing around us.  
  
"C'mon" he said getting out  
  
"C'mon where?" I said looking around for any kind of civilaztion  
  
  
  
"Just trust me, its right over here." Trust you? Can I really trust you Leon?  
  
  
  
I sighed and dragged myself out of the car and followed him to a large rock pile. Within four leaps, Leon was at the top. I just stood at the bottom tapping my foot.  
  
"You're kidding me right?"  
  
"Nope. Gimme your hand, I'll help you"  
  
I planted my foot on the ledge of the bottom rock and grabbed his hand. It took a little struggle, but he pulled me right up like I was a rag doll.  
  
"Be careful. There's not a lot of standing room around here." He stood behind me.  
  
"Look." he said, pointing to the horizon.  
  
I finally realized where we were. We were at the city limits overlooking LA. It was majestic, and peaceful. The dark purple hues of the fading sunset mixed with the lights of the city, and made it breathtaking.  
  
"Oh God" was all I managed to get out as I gasped.  
  
"How's that for freedom?" he asked pulling me in close, and wrapping his arms around me. We just stood there admiring the view. At least that's what I thought we were doing. I ran my hands down his arms.  
  
"Thank you for showing me this Leon"  
  
"You're welcome." I heard his voice reply. His face was buried in my hair. Suddenly he pulled my hair back and stopped. I was so into the moment that I didn't realize what he'd done, until it was too late.  
  
"Sarah what the hell is that?" His tone was flat and serious. I felt his fingers down the length of the scar.  
  
"An accident back home." I said firmly, hoping he would drop the subject. Thankfully he picked up on my hostility and instead of asking anymore questions, I felt him ever-so-softly kiss my ear; then my neck and shoulders. At first I tried to break away from his embrace but he held on tight.  
  
"Don't be afraid of me Sarah." he whispered in my ear. I felt his hot breath travel down my neck, and my knees went loose. Before I knew it I was turned around face to face with him.  
  
"Leon, I--" He cut me off mid-sentence with his lips -- soft and gentle -- not like I was used to. It was beautiful. He finally broke the kiss.  
  
"Can't do this" I said finishing my words. Leon pulled back a little and laughed.  
  
"We already did" he said coming in closer for another kiss. I felt the fear rise up in me and I started to panic.  
  
"I want to go back to the house now, OK? " I blurted out, right as he was an inch away from my face. I felt myself begin to shake in his embrace. He let out a sigh and nodded, but didn't let me go.  
  
"Sarah. I know we've only known each other for a week, but you can trust me. Whenever you're ready to tell me. whatever it is that is paralyzing you. I'll be here ok?"  
  
At the thought of him being willing to patiently wait for me to open up, I got dizzy. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest.  
  
"Thank you. Thank you for not pushing." I said, choking back the tears. We stood there on that rock, holding each other for what felt like an eternity, until he finally broke the embrace.  
  
"C'mon, lets get back"  
  
I must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing I remember after getting back into the car, was pulling up to the house.  
  
"Hey. You awake?" I heard Leon ask as he pulled a few stray hairs away from face.  
  
"Mmmm, yeah. Where are we?"  
  
"Home."  
  
I sat straight up and looked around. Then my gaze fell on his eyes, and I smiled faintly.  
  
"C'mon you look beat"  
  
I started to follow him up the drive before I realized I was leaving my whole life in the car.  
  
"Oh shit. Wait a sec." I said running back to the car. I grabbed my clothes bag, the money, and the .22, slipping it in my waistband before I returned to Leon on the porch.  
  
We walked into the house and even though I heard voices from the kitchen, I was too tired to talk to anyone.  
  
"Where am I sleeping?"  
  
"You can have my room."  
  
"No way Leon, I'm not taking your bed."  
  
"I insist." he said smiling. Without a reason, I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his cheek.  
  
"Your are too good too me Leon."  
  
"I'll get you something to sleep in." he said. "You coming?" He went up the stairs.  
  
"I'll be right there." I said opening up the money case and slipping the gun into it. I shut it and locked it before carrying it and the other bag up the stairs. Leon emerged out of a room with an oversized tee shirt in his hands.  
  
"Just your style." he said tossing it to me. I couldn't help but laugh. We said our goodnights and I crawled into his bed, leaving the door halfway open.  
  
It was dark. I couldn't see anything, but I heard him calling for me. "Sarah!" I cowered in the corner praying he wouldn't find me, but there he was; eyes glazed over and arms reaching for me. I saw the knife in his hands.  
  
"You'll never forget who you belong to." he said throwing me onto the floor. I kicked, punched, and tried to bite him. Anything I could do to fight back. But my efforts were futile. Two swift kicks to my abdomen, combined with him bashing the back of my head on the floor disabled me. The knife! The long silver blade coming closer and closer! I screamed  
  
"Sarah, Sarah! Calm down!" I opened my eyes to see Anthony over me. I thrashed in the bed, trying to get him off of me.  
  
"No Anthony, NO!"  
  
Suddenly I was being shaken by the shoulders.  
  
"Sarah, chill the fuck out!" I was shaken back into the conscious world. I wasn't in NYC. I was in LA. I was in Leon's bed; in his house. I looked up and I didn't see Anthony. It was Leon hovering over me. I felt my body, and realized I was drenched in sweat, and panting. As soon as I realized what happened, I began to cry. I couldn't have held it in even if had I tried. Leon scooted closer to me on the bed and held me, rocking me as I sobbed onto his chest.  
  
"Oh god, I'm so sorry" I managed to say  
  
"Shhh. Don't even talk. You're safe now," Leon said, still rocking me.  
  
I looked up at him, tears still pouring down my face. I felt his thumbs run across my cheeks, wiping my tears away. For a split second he looked at me, and then I felt his lips on mine. I didn't push him away, but accepted his kiss. It instantly calmed me down. As soon as he broke the kiss I asked him,  
  
"Would you stay here with me. I'm still not. I mean"  
  
"Shhh. Yeah, I'll stay." he said, laying me back down on the bed. I felt him move up and lay his body against my back. His arm draped over me and I fell back to sleep with his hands in my hair.  
  
Leon's Point of View:  
  
I felt her body tuck into mine. When her breathing finally evened out, she pulled my arm over herself. It's OK baby, I know.  
  
Mia had told me what she saw when I went to take a shower before dinner. She'd stopped me upstairs.  
  
"I have to talk to you" Mia said. Her face was pale.  
  
"Wassup?"  
  
"It's Sarah." What was Mia talking about?  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"When we were shopping I saw her--"  
  
"Mia?"  
  
"Just listen. She -- she was covered in bruises and scars!"  
  
"WHAT!"  
  
"Shhh! Calm down! I only saw her back but. Leon it was horrible!" Tears had already welled up in Mia's eyes.  
  
"Did Letty see?"  
  
"No. Sarah made me promise not to say anything. Leon, there's more"  
  
"What Mia? . Mia, WHAT!"  
  
"She has a big scar on her back. She said something about a kidney, but it sure as hell looks like a knife wound to me."  
  
I had to trust Mia's instincts. She was only a few semesters away from being a Registered Nurse.  
  
"I can't fuckin' believe this!" I said. I could feel my blood pressure rising "Was it that bad Mia?" I wanted to believe she was exaggerating.  
  
Mia just nodded her head and hugged me  
  
" I just thought you should know." she said as she descended the stairs. I went and took a shower, not only to wash up, but to think. I let the hot water run down as my mind started to race. When Jesse ran her license plates, he pulled up everything on Sarah -- medical records, DMV files, and arrest records, even though she didn't have any of those. He never really opened the medical records, because I didn't see the need at the time. But now, first thing tomorrow, I was going to have Jesse take a look at them.  
  
Now it's a little after 6am. I'm already awake, and eager to start on the Acura in the garage. Sarah was still sleeping, lying on her side. Her shirt had crawled up her back during the night, but the blanket was still protecting her. I slid the blanket down and lifted her shirt. Her white skin was covered in yellow and brown welts the size of baseballs. The bruises appeared to be in the last stages of healing. Cuts and scars -- some fresh; some faded. All were definite signs of prolonged abuse. There was one scar larger then the others, on her lower right side. I ran my finger down the length. About 2" long. It was deep too, I could tell from the way it healed. She shifted in the bed slightly when I touched her back. Before she could wake I pulled her shirt down, and pulled the blanket back over her. I was already dressed, but I climbed back into the bed, over the covers, and held her for a while. I buried my face in her golden hair. God she was beautiful. How could that asshole not have seen it? She was soft and smelled like honeysuckle. Her eyes were the brightest green I have ever seen, her lips were full and soft. Just my style. I was tearing myself up inside, tangled up in my emotions. I had such a feeling of love for her, and such a rage for whoever Anthony was. I decided to get out of the room and find out just what her story was. I made it into the kitchen in time to see Dom and Jess already enjoying their coffee.  
  
"Jess, you hooked up?"  
  
"Not yet." he said sipping his coffee.  
  
"Bring it out.right here." I demanded.  
  
"Relax, have some coffee fir-" Dom tried to say.  
  
"No Dawg, NOW!"I confirmed  
  
Jesse was already out of his seat and connecting his laptop. He plugged a line into the phone and another into the wall socket. With a few clicks he was ready.  
  
"I'm up. What do you need"  
  
"Pull up Sarah's medicals again."  
  
"Hold on." Jesse said, typing away at the keyboard. "Here you go."  
  
"Open it." I said standing over him.  
  
Two clicks later, Sarah's entire medical history, from the day she was born, filled the screen.  
  
"Filter for ER visits within the last five years."  
  
Jesse worked his magic as Dom watched silently.  
  
"Ok..2 in 1997.. umm.1 in 1999..9 more in 2000. Jesus Christ, 26 in 2001"  
  
"Holy shit!" Dom said, now getting up to look at her file.  
  
"Last one was 18 days ago." Jesse said, staring at me in fear as if he was afraid to tell me. I fell into the chair next to Jesse and ran my hands through my hair, trying to fight off the rage.  
  
"I could use that coffee now dawg." I said to Dom. Dom turned around and poured me a cup.  
  
"What do you know that I don't?" he said passing the cup to me. I just took a sip and tried to push the rage further down  
  
"Leon?" Jesse asked finally, snapping me back to attention.  
  
"I don't know yet. Check her DMV's again Jesse?" I was trying to piece together the puzzle in my head.  
  
Jesse's fingers flew over the keyboard again, and within 30 seconds, everything re-aligned. Motor Vehicles and Sarah Ippolito were on the screen.  
  
"Here we go. She had a Trenton, NJ address for 19 years; then New Brunswick, NJ; and then Manhattan NY in June of last year. Hold on." Jesse said as he typed feverishly on the keyboard. "Tax assessor's records show the property in New York belonged to Anthony Perrello."  
  
"ANTHONY!" I growled half under my breath. Dom caught onto my anger immediately.  
  
"Talk to me Leon." he demanded.  
  
"I heard her last night talking in her sleep, she started freaking out Dom. She was screaming and shit. I'm surprised you didn't hear her. She said the name Anthony, a few times."  
  
Suddenly Mia and Brian appeared in the kitchen.  
  
"Why all so serious this morning" Brian questioned. Before anyone could answer, Mia made her way behind Jesse and was staring at the comp screen.  
  
"Jess what are you doing?" she asked  
  
" I uh, well Leon told me to, uh-"  
  
" It's Sarah's medical records Mia." Dom simply stated. The only one confused was Brian.  
  
"And why are we looking at these again?!"  
  
Mia just turned around and said. "I'll tell you later honey"  
  
"Yeah, Brian, I need some of your PD connects too"  
  
Brian just nodded and poured himself some coffee. I shut the laptop down.  
  
"I'm going to the garage, Need to start on that Acura" I said getting up.  
  
I left by myself and thought that maybe some time alone would allow me to cool off. 


	9. chapter 9

TITLE: "RUNNING" -- Chapter 9 of many more :o) AUTHOR: Daaasl RATING: PG-13 DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Mia, Michelle, etc. are not mine. All other characters are mine all mine, though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: Yes. Please. Drop me a line and we can talk. FEEDBACK: Yes! I want to know what you think. But please make it constructive and friendly.  
  
Dom showed up at the garage around an hour later. Leon was on the dolly underneath the Acura. Chronic 2001 was blasting on the radio. Dom lowered the music.  
  
"Yeah?" Leon called out from under the car.  
  
"Whatcha doing down there?" Dom asked. Leon slid out from under the car.  
  
"Hey Dawg!"  
  
"Come talk to me." Dom said throwing Leon a hand towel. Leon wiped the grease off his hands and followed Dom into the office. They settled in their seats and Leon dropped his gaze to the floor.  
  
"Talk to me Leon."  
  
Leon let out a sigh. "Nothing came up when Jess ran her plates. I didn't think to look at the Meds, because we never do, but Mia-"  
  
"She told me."  
  
Leon just nodded and then continued.  
  
"When I took her out last night for a drive I tried to talk to her. But she's not ready Dawg, and I wasn't going to push her. You can tell she scared. Just look at her. She's running from something, or someone."  
  
"Leon, we're doing good now. Why didn't you look at everything before bringing her out here? You don't know what you got yourself, or any of us, into."  
  
Leon wouldn't hear it. He looked up and stared Dom down.  
  
"Listen to me Dom. Last night I saw her back. Mia wasn't exaggerating. When I saw the scars. I saw her."  
  
"I already figured that out"  
  
For a moment they were silent.  
  
"She didn't just have a nightmare last night Dom. I heard her crying and shit. When I went up stairs to check on her, she was going crazy -- fighting off invisible demons, it looked like. I tried to wake her, and she attacked me!"  
  
Dom's eyebrows went up in surprise.  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"Dawg, I wouldn't lie to you." Leon said, his voice slowly raising with his anger. "Listen. I didn't know until I saw it for myself this morning. That's why I had Jess pull the Meds up. You know as much as I do right now."  
  
Dom nodded and then said, " I've got Brian checking out Anthony. But Sarah is coming in to the garage today, so until we know anything, we play dumb. Got it?"  
  
Leon looked at him registering the order, then nodded.  
  
"Dawg, I didn't know-"  
  
"I know" Dom interrupted. He made it to the door before turning around.  
  
"She can stay until we figure this out, ok?"  
  
"Yeah. When is she coming here?"  
  
"I'm going to get her now."  
  
I slept the rest of the night soundly, peacefully. I dreamt of the ocean. Music was flowing like the waves, and flowed right through me. I heard singing. The ocean grew farther and farther. There was only me and the music. There were no clouds; only the warm sun, the heat transcending into the waves, transforming itself into the music. It was surreal. I woke up in the morning to an empty bed. I had no idea what time it was. I sat up and stretched my back. Mary J Blige was playing throughout the house and for a moment I thought I was still dreaming. But I touched my skin and felt its warmth, reassuring myself I was back in the conscious world. Where was Leon?! I looked around the room and found a pair of sweats draped over a chair. I slipped them on and headed for the bathroom. The music switched to "U bring me Joy" and while I tended to my business, I started to sing. I sang softly at first, then louder and louder. BANG BANG BANG.. I heard fists pound the bathroom door  
  
"Sing it Girl..uh..uh!"  
  
I could see Letty's shadow through the door, bouncing to the music.  
  
"Mia! Put the joint on again"  
  
The song started over. Another series of bangs hit the bathroom door.  
  
"Come on outta there Sarah."  
  
I thought about it for a second, then decided to go with it. I was in a good mood that morning, and I felt like singing. I came out of the bathroom bouncing to the music. Before Mary started singing I tugged on Letty 's arm.  
  
"You better sing too Damnit"  
  
"Ha ha! OK girl."  
  
Letty and I began to sing, dancing in the hallway.  
  
~I don't know what I would do Do without.. U bring me Joy~  
  
Mia bounced out of her room to join us in the hallway. The three of us were singing along until Mary began to break it down in the song. Mia and Letty stopped, but I kept singing. Perfect pitch. I didn't even realize I could still have that much passion. Suddenly the music cut off. We all looked at each other and then Letty broke the silence.  
  
"HEY!!" she hollered towards Mia's room. Dom emerged from the room with his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
"You girls want to keep it down? We do have neighbors."  
  
"Oh puhleez." Letty argued "It's 10 a.m. already"  
  
"That's it!" I said surprised.  
  
"What do you mean that's it," Dom said looking at me. "I came back from the garage to see if you were ready."  
  
"What time did you guys get up?" I asked.  
  
"6:00" "6:30" "6:30"  
  
"Oh.sorry." I said laughing at their responses.  
  
"Its cool. If you need the rest, you take it. You just pulled a cross- country in less than two weeks."  
  
"Hell yeah!" Letty chimed in " That's rough."  
  
"Where's...everyone" I said trying to show no particular interest in anyone specific. Mia and Letty just looked at me and shook their heads.  
  
"Everyone's at the garage."  
  
"Ok. Lemme take a quick shower. I'll be ready in 15 minutes."  
  
I was in and out of the shower in 5. I went back to Leon's room and rummaged through the new clothes I had just bought. I put on a pair of white Capri's and a low cut baby blue tee shirt. Both very form fitting. I did have a decent figure. I was 5'9" and 170 lbs. But this time I was flaunting my curves, something I hadn't done in years. I strapped on a pair of white sandals I bought that crisscrossed over my ankles. I could tell it was hot outside by the way Dom was dressed, so I put my hair up into a high ponytail, my bangs falling to the sides of my face. I couldn't believe it. I actually looked like a girl. I put on a little make up to accent the outfit.  
  
"Sarah, c'mon!" I heard Dom yell from downstairs. I took a deep breath and walked out of the room.  
  
"Coming!" I said descending the stairs.  
  
" That's what I'm talking about" Letty said as I came into the living room. "Much better girl." I could feel my face turning red, but I forced it down.  
  
"You ready?" Dom said getting up.  
  
"Yup"  
  
I followed Dom outside and bumped into him when he stopped suddenly on the porch. "We'll take your car."  
  
"You want to see how I handle her don't you?" I smirked. "Absolutely."  
  
I pulled out of the drive and drove to the garage by memory from the day before. There is a sweet curve in the road 2 blocks before the garage, and I took the opportunity to show Dom how well Miss T could corner. I hit the turn at 70 and kept up the pressure as she hugged the turn. I looked at Dom and he was smiling. I pulled up to the stop sign.  
  
"How's that? Impressed enough?"  
  
"Not bad" he said, nodding his head.  
  
I pulled into the driveway at the garage, and stepped out to see Vince and Leon working on an Acura. Vince saw me first. He stopped dead in his tracks and swatted Leon on his back.  
  
"Yo Dawg, What the-!" Leon railed. When he saw me, his mouth dropped. My insecurities came rushing back. By now everyone was staring at me. Dom finally broke the silence  
  
"She cleans up nice huh?"  
  
"Hell yeah" Leon agreed looking me up and down. Vince and Jesse started laughing. It was Leon's turn to blush.  
  
"C'mon Sarah." Dom waved me over as he pushed passed the boys, into the back office. Great, I thought. Now I have to walk right past them all. I walked up to the guys, and made it through Vince and Jesse with no problem. But Leon leaned in and took my arm as I tried to go by.  
  
"You sleep ok?" I turned around, putting my hand on his chest.  
  
"Yes, thank you." I couldn't believe I was flirting with him again! He smiled and put his hand on mine, then took it in his grasp. He took a step back and held out my arms as he looked me over again.  
  
"You look nice."  
  
Before I could respond, Dom came back to interrupt. "Leon, can I have her back now?" I heard a snicker coming from under the car that Vince was working on. I couldn't help but smile too. I followed Dom into the office.  
  
"Have a seat." I started to sit in front of the desk.  
  
"No, come over here." he said. I sat behind a desk full of paperwork. Dom leaned over me with his hand resting on the desk.  
  
"This one is sales, this is the AP/AR books. These are the expenses, and utilities." he said, pointing at different notebooks.  
  
"Where's your payroll?"  
  
"Don't have one." I looked at him like he was crazy  
  
"I know. I know. That's why I wanted you to take a look at these, just see what you can come up with."  
  
"Well.. I can give you a cost analysis of the last 6 months. You know -- Tell you how much your are spending and saving."  
  
"Yeah. You can start with that. How long would that take?"  
  
"A day or two I guess. " "Ok, do it. I'll make sure you aren't bothered. If you need anything, just holla."  
  
He shut the door and I began right away. It wasn't until Leon came in a few hours later that I took a break.  
  
"Hey you hungry?"  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"3"  
  
"Yeah, I am kind of hungry. Where's Dom?"  
  
"Went to go get some parts. C'mon. We'll go someplace nice." he said, walking over to me. I stood up and he took a step closer. I felt a little nervous but he ran his hands up and down my arms gently.  
  
"C'mon, you must be going cross-eyed by now"  
  
He took my hand and led me out of the garage. We took his car and he opened the door for me, before going around to his side. We jumped on the highway and went to a seafood shanty on the ocean.  
  
"You like Lobster?'  
  
"Who doesn't?"  
  
We got a table on the back deck, overlooking the surf. I sat down, taking a deep breath of the salt air in, and slowly exhaled. "You love the ocean don't you?"  
  
"One of my three pleasures" I said not breaking my gaze from the water.  
  
"What are the other 2"  
  
"Music, and Miss T." I answered, lazily dragging my gaze back to him.  
  
"What kind of music? Queen?" he joked  
  
"Yes! And a lot of other stuff too -- just no country." We both laughed. The waiter came over to us.  
  
"We'll have two broiled Lobster tails, butter, lemon, a corona and a--"Leon trailed off, waiting for my drink order.  
  
"Malibu Bay breeze please"  
  
The waiter left and for a moment there was a peaceful silence. Leon finally broke it.  
  
"So. Who is Anthony?"  
  
My mouth dropped open. "How did you-"  
  
"You thought I was Anthony last night." he said, his tone turning serious. "Is he why you are on the run?"  
  
I couldn't look at Leon. Words wouldn't come out of my mouth. I hung my head and nodded.  
  
"Does he know where you are?"  
  
I just shook my head.  
  
"Sarah?" I heard the concern in his voice. I lifted my eyes and stared into his. He looked as if he was on the verge of tears.  
  
"I left in the middle of the night while he was asleep Leon. I didn't stop until I hit Harrisburg. I only spent one night in Chicago before I met up with you and Jesse." I said, choking back the tears.  
  
Leon took my hand and looked at me. When our drinks came, I took a long gulp of my Bay Breeze and looked out at the ocean.  
  
"Leon?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I'm not. I can't talk about this yet. I'm sorry. I don't want to have to re-live all that right now."  
  
"Like I said yesterday Sarah, whenever you are ready."  
  
"About yesterday-"  
  
"Don't. Don't. I won't be so insistent -- I just-"  
  
"Its ok Leon. Just. give me some more time, ok?" I pleaded. Leon took my hand and kissed the back.  
  
"Take your time." he assured me.  
  
The waiter came back with our food and we ate for the most part, in silence, with the exception of some small talk about NJ. We continued the small talk until, like a klutz, I missed my mouth, and a buttery piece of Lobster fell down my chin and into my plate. I looked stunned. But before I could do anything, Leon was already laughing. I had to laugh too, I felt like a complete mess, but before I could reach for my napkin, Leon had run his finger over my chin, cleaning me up. He put his finger in his mouth and licked the butter off with a huge grin.. My heart jumped. I felt the heat rise up in my body but it wasn't directed to my face. I felt everything tingle as he looked at me, still sucking on his finger. I began to panic again.  
  
"What time is it? We have to get back!"  
  
Leon just nodded, smiling. "Almost five."  
  
We left the restaurant and drove back in silence. I felt horrible. Once again he was trying to be nice and I had pushed him away. I cried silently as we drove back to the garage and flew into the office as soon as Leon pulled into the driveway. I shut the door behind me and cried even more.  
  
LEON"S POV  
  
The ride back from the restaurant was silent. I felt bad, I 'd just told Sarah I wouldn't push her, but somehow I'd done it again! I wanted to say I was sorry, but I didn't know how to say it. I felt it was better to just ride back quietly instead. I acted like such a punk. She bolted out of the car and raced into the garage, slamming the door behind her. That made me feel even worse. Dom and Vince walked over to me, looking confused.  
  
"What the hell was that?" Vince asked.  
  
"I don't know. We went to lunch and everything was fine, but I think I hit a sore subject with her." I lied . "Leon?!?" Dom questioned.  
  
"Relax Dom. I didn't say anything. Let me go talk to her a little."  
  
"No, let her be for now. Go on back to work."  
  
I tried to protest, but the look in Dom's eyes told me I wasn't winning that battle, so I went on back to the Acura. Within an hour, I left the garage, with Vince and Jesse. Dom stayed behind to do some finishing touches. He said he would ride back to the house with Sarah. I left for the house to get ready for the races. I had enough time to get in a nap before everyone came back, so I went upstairs, and laid my head on the pillow Sarah slept on the night before. The pillow still smelled like honeysuckle. It had been a long time since I'd had a sweet, 'real' woman in my bed. The skanks I was used to messing with never deserved the luxury of sharing my bed. I'd always take them downstairs to Vince's room or out of the house to get it on with them. My bed was reserved for the special ones. And this time, I think I found that one. I just hope I'm not an asshole and push her away before I even have a chance with her. I inhaled her scent and fell asleep hoping everything worked out. 


	10. Chapter 10

TITLE: "RUNNING" -- Chapter 10 of many more :o) AUTHOR: Daasl RATING: PG-13 DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Mia, etc. are not mine. All other characters are mine all mine, though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: Yes. Please. Drop me a line and we can talk. FEEDBACK: Yes! I want to know what you think. But please make it constructive and friendly.  
  
When the door to the office slammed behind me, it made me jump. I hadn't realized just how affected I was from lunch until I sat down behind the desk. Tears began to swell up in my eyes. Nice going Sarah! Thankfully no one came into the office and bothered me. I was able to regain my composure and start working on the books again within a few minutes. I forced Leon out of my mind and focused on the numbers. I calculated and crunched numbers for hours until I heard the office door creak open. At first I didn't even look up. I knew someone was there, staring at me. I was paranoid that it would be Leon. I was afraid to look at him and bring him into my reality again. I let out a long sigh and slowly raised my head. It was Dom. Thank GOD!  
  
"How you doing in here?"  
  
"OK. I got the first part done. You want to take a look?"  
  
"Sure." He said, wiping his grease stained hands on his dirty overalls. He walked over to where I was sitting and bent down with one arm holding the desk for support. He was huge. Bigger then Anthony and more intimidating. I tried to act casual.  
  
"I..uh..I" I began to stutter as I shuffled the papers in my hand. Just his size made me uneasy. He must have found my shyness amusing because I heard a faint laugh from behind me.  
  
"Relax.I don't bite"  
  
"Do all you guys use the same lines?" I questioned, still not daring to make eye contact. The only response was another deep chuckle echoing behind me. I pulled out my work and laid it out on the desk for Dom to see.  
  
"It's kinda hard to read, but these are the figures you should be most interested in."  
  
"What am I looking at here?"  
  
"Well. this is how much you've been spending; at least how much you spent last quarter. This one over here is how much revenue you've been bringing in."  
  
"These can't be right!" His sudden anger made every muscle inside me tense. I counted to three before I answered.  
  
"Sorry, but you're overspending. Plus you have no write-off's, and no payroll. Now that's easy to fix."  
  
"But there are no set pay scales for this garage" his tone turning from angry to serious.  
  
" You don't necessarily need them. You could pay them on commission. You know -- keep a certain percentage of whatever they work on."  
  
" Yeah but one person doesn't do just one car. I have V and Jess working on the Civic, but I know Letty put some wrench time in on it too."  
  
I tried to think of another way the payroll could work for the garage without too much change. Wracking my brain, I sat back in the chair only to sit straight up and gasp when I felt Dom's hand on my back.  
  
"You all right?" he said. I felt his hand rubbing my back gently. I knew Dom was just showing concern, but it made the whole moment even more uncomfortable. I tensed up even more and clenched my jaw shut. The panic began to rise up in me, and even though I tried to play it cool, Dom must have noticed. I felt his hand leave my back and I watched as his other hand disappeared from the desk.  
  
"Forget about this shit for now." he said, collecting all my work off the desk.  
  
"But-" I tried to protest.  
  
"No Buts. You're coming with us to the race tonight."  
  
"Oh, no! That's ok. Really. I was just gonna-"  
  
"You wouldn't turn down the man that's putting a roof over your head, would you?" he said sarcastically. Once again he won, and all I could do was shake my head and smile.  
  
"What time is it?" I asked.  
  
"Almost nine. You can take me back to the house. We gotta get ready."  
  
"Where's everyone else?" I said trying to collect the work I was doing.  
  
"They left a while ago. You leave these things. They'll be here tomorrow." he said taking it all back out of my hands. "You ready?"  
  
"Yeah." I said as I followed him out of the garage and over to my car. After he locked up he jumped over the door and slid into the passenger seat, just like Leon had earlier. I couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"What's so funny?" he asked.  
  
"The two of you are more alike then you realize." I said pulling out. We were back at the house in a few minutes, and to my thankful surprise, Leon and V were nowhere to be found. Before I could find out where they'd gone off to, I hurried up the stairs and knocked on Mia's door.  
  
"C'mon in." I heard her call out.  
  
I cracked the door open and slid in quickly, a look of despair washing over my face.  
  
"Sarah, wassup?!"  
  
"Mia, um. I don't have anything to wear that's.appropriate" I said looking down in shame  
  
"Oh girl, relax, I think I got something for you."  
  
She went to her closet and began pulling everything out. We finally decided on a pair of leather pants with a cut out flare, and a matching black halter top with most of the back intact. It was perfect. At least Mia thought so. I thought it did its job of covering me well, and showing off my curves at the same time. Mia was a natural at making you look good. I could tell that about her as soon as I met her. She didn't just make you look good, she made you feel good about yourself too. Soon, I was sitting down and she was doing my hair. I had forgotten about the mishap at lunch, and figured that if Leon didn't make an issue out of it, neither would I.  
  
"So you like it here?" Mia asked me.  
  
"Hell Yeah, I love it"  
  
"What about the men?"  
  
"Oh, I'm not really looking for any men right now, I'm just trying to get my feet on solid ground first you know."  
  
"Yeah, well, sometimes a good man can help you get there faster you know."  
  
" Yeah, a good one. Trouble is I don't know any."  
  
"Well, you know four actually" she said laughing.  
  
"Oh you mean your crew? Yeah, they are nice guys, but that's not what I meant."  
  
"I know what you meant Sarah, and I know of at least ONE guy that would take his time with you."  
  
I turned around on the bed to face Mia with a determined look. She still had the hairbrush in her hand, and tried to turn me around to finish, but I stopped her.  
  
"What are you talking about Mia?!"  
  
"Oh, nothing, just that you're not as alone as you might think."  
  
"Has...anyone.said anything to you about me?" I asked.  
  
"Anyone in particular?" Mia teased me.  
  
"Allright, spill it!"  
  
"Well, nothing was actually said directly to me, but I can tell certain things about my boys you know: how one in particular is in a better mood now; how he hasn't left your side since you got here; how he was worried about you when you first came here to meet us; how he let you sleep in his bed."  
  
By the time she was done, my face had turned bright red. I couldn't help but smile. I knew she was right. Leon hadn't left my side since I got here. And he always had this look of concern when I was not in the best of moods. I felt so responsible for his attitude today, and my smile quickly faded.  
  
"Yeah, Mia, but today, I uh. I don't know. It's like we get to a point, and then I back off and run in the other direction. It's too soon for me to commit -- to him or anyone right now. But, I'm afraid if I push him away now, he won't be there when I am ready." My head hung heavy in my hands.  
  
"You don't know Leon very well. I agree with you too. Don't rush into anything you're not ready for. He's my friend, but if he isn't willing to wait, then he's not worth it Sarah."  
  
She turned me around and finished doing my hair. It was half up and half down, with little curls framing my face.  
  
"I left it down so.." she trailed off.  
  
"It looks great. Thank you Mia." I said  
  
"EVERYONE"S WAITING!" Dom's voice boomed up the stairwell.  
  
"You ready?" she asked. I could tell she was pleased with her work. I let out a deep sigh.  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be." I said, taking one last look in the mirror.  
  
"You look great. C'mon!."  
  
I followed Mia down the stairs and saw Letty and Dom first. Letty was wearing a black mini skirt with a red halter top and thigh high boots. She looked awesome. Better then me! Dom was wearing his usual classic tank top and dark blue jeans, with his timberlands on. A chain with a cross swayed casually across his chest. I was just about to say something to Letty when I felt a warm hand run across the small of my back.  
  
"You look beautiful" Leon whispered in my ear as he turned me around. We made eye contact for a moment, and I couldn't help but smile. Every time I looked into his eyes it was always the same reaction. But before I was able to lose myself in them, Dom spoke up.  
  
"Ok, you all know the drill. Mia you ride with Letty; Jesse, since your car ain't done yet, you ride with Vince. And Sarah, you ride with Leon." He had this planned!  
  
"Where's Brian?" I asked.  
  
"He'll be around later." Dom said as he walked Letty out the door. We all piled in and made our way out to a commercial district, to what looked like an abandoned warehouse. As we pulled up, I noticed a big swarm of people buzzing around. Cars in all colors and shapes were on display like a car show. Women dressed in underwear prancing around and tugging on men who were tweaking their engines. Switches and sounds were all around me. Bouncing cars and beats filled my soul as we stopped the car. I felt like my eyes were going to bug out of my head, so I shook it off and looked over at Leon.  
  
"You having fun yet?"  
  
"Oh this is great!!" I said bouncing in my seat. I could barely contain my excitement!  
  
"C'mon, I want you to meet some people." he said.  
  
We got out of our cars and a small crowd flocked around Dom as soon as he stepped out. Women were pushing each other, just to get close to him. I glanced over at Letty and I saw a small scowl on her face. But it changed to a smile when Dom reached over and grabbed her, pulling her in close and landing the most passionate kiss I've seen in public. The crowd cheered and the girls backed off, as Letty playfully hit Dom on the arm and walked back over to the rest of us.  
  
"He's such a pig!" Letty said wiping her lips  
  
"Yeah but you love it" Leon said pulling me past the girls and up to Dom. A Mexican Kid came over and hugged Dom, then shook Vince, and Jesse's hands before stopping at Leon.  
  
"Wassup Dawg?" Leon said, shaking the guy's hand. "Hector, I want you to meet Sarah."  
  
Hector stopped and looked me up and down before smiling. "Umm, Pleasure is ALL mine Sarah."  
  
A small giggle escaped me. "It's nice to meet you." I said shaking his hand  
  
"Damn, Leon, got yourself an angel, huh?"  
  
"No doubt." Leon smiled.  
  
I looked up at Leon as he draped his arm over my shoulder, then looked back at Mia who was standing off to the side. Her smile stretched across her face and I saw her mouth the words "I told you so." at me. My natural responses took over and I wrapped my arm around Leon's waist as we walked over to another group of guys. A shorter black kid came up and took Leon's free hand.  
  
"Leon, wassup my man?"  
  
"Chillin, Edwin. You racing tonight?"  
  
"Naw, she still needs a new intake, so I'm here for the views." he said spanning his arms over his head. "This is a nice one here" he said nodding at me.  
  
"Edwin, meet Sarah." Leon nodded.  
  
"How are you sweetheart?"  
  
"Just fine. It's nice to meet you." I said extending my hand. Instead of shaking my hand, Edwin turned it over and kissed the back. Leon raised his eyebrows at Edwin and swatted him away.  
  
"Hey now. Don't get too comfortable Dawg."  
  
"Just showing the lady a little courtesy. No disrespect Dawg" grinned Edwin.  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Leon said, half laughing and half serious.  
  
We walked through the crowd a little further, Leon introducing me to people here and there. Every time we would walk away, he would tell me the scoop on everyone.  
  
Hector just got caught with his girlfriend's sister 2 weeks ago. Since his girl was living with him, she got kicked to the curb, and he moved her sister in. Edwin was a player, and everyone knew it. He had a few girls, and they all knew about each other. But Edwin couldn't race for shit. At least that's what V and Jesse think.  
  
Dom called us back over and informed us of the place and the buy-in for the race. "3G tonight Dawg." he said as he walked back to the car.  
  
"3G?" I asked, climbing into Leon's car.  
  
"Yeah one race. 3G to buy into it." Leon answered.  
  
""It costs 3 thousand dollars to race?!"  
  
"Sometimes. Sometimes 2. Sometimes 5G."  
  
"Holy Shit!" I yelped.  
  
Leon just laughed and followed the crowd of cars to a highway on the outside of town. We split from the rest of the team and parked across a side street, blocking the way in or out.  
  
"Why aren't we with the team Leon?"  
  
"I'm the. Well, you and I are going to be the ears and eyes for everybody." he said, switching on his scanner and pulling out his two-way radio.  
  
"Here. Hold onto this for me." he said, passing me the two-way. He played with the scanners and listened for anything that gave an indication they would be ready. I sat back in the car discouraged, I couldn't see the cars from where we were parked! Leon looked over and saw my disappointment.  
  
"Go sit up on the roof. You can see from there." he said. I smiled and climbed out and up onto the roof with my legs still dangling in the window. I heard Leon give the all clear and saw Hector throw his hands down. Dom was in the car closest to me, and I saw the fire as he took off. No one was even close to him. Within seconds he was over the finish line. I was cheering and screaming. It was all so exciting. I got down off the car and jumped through the window into Leon's arms.  
  
"He won! He won!!" I yelled, wrapping my arms around Leon.  
  
"He always does!" Leon laughed as he pulled back and looked at me. I didn't know whether it was the rush of the cars, the thrill of the victory or the combination of both, but as soon as Leon looked at me I attacked him. I just started kissing him. For a second I think he was caught off guard, but then he responded by pulling me in closer and returning the kisses. Our kisses grew hungry and passionate, and I never wanted to stop.  
  
There is reported street racing, send all units.  
  
Leon pushed me off of him and grabbed the two-way.  
  
"We got cops cops cops! GO!!" he screamed in the mike.  
  
I sat up in the seat and pulled on my seat belt, just as Leon turned on the car and punched the gas. Within seconds we had two cops right on our tail.  
  
"Leon!!"  
  
I screamed out loud as he turned a sharp, right corner that threw me into the window.  
  
"Hold on baby!" he yelled, as he tried to lose the cops, who were gaining on us.  
  
Baby! He just called me baby. I'm about to go to jail and I'm on cloud nine because he called me baby!  
  
Leon took another sharp left into a parking garage but over-compensated and smacked broadside into the wall. He managed to pull us out of view, but I could tell he had hurt his arm.  
  
"FUCK!" he shouted as he popped his dislocated shoulder back into place. I got out of the car and went over to his side. The door was smashed; the mirror was gone, and the rims were all scratched up, bad.  
  
"Move over!" I said prying his door open.  
  
"What?" Leon growled.  
  
"Just MOVE!" I insisted, pushing him into the other seat and getting behind the wheel.  
  
"I ran too. I can handle this." Leon just looked at me and then slid over. I put the car in reverse, and sped out of the parking garage. As soon as I took the first corner, I saw another cop tailing us. He began pursuit and the chase was on.  
  
"You gotta tell me where I'm going." I yelled, taking a hard right and just missing a station wagon as the cop rounded the corner behind me.  
  
"Third block up, hard left" he said, still holding onto his arm. I took the turn and looked over at him.  
  
"You ok?" I shouted.  
  
"Yeah. Just had to pop it back into place. Second block, hard right." he yelled.  
  
I swerved the car into the alley and floored it. Within 5 seconds I was out of the alley and on Dom's street.  
  
"Hey I know where I am now." I said, shifting gears and punching the gas even harder. I pulled up in front of Dom's house. We had no where to stash the car. So instead of waiting for the cops to find us, I pulled up and over the front lawn and parked the car around in the back yard. I shut off the engine and looked at Leon. He was staring at me in shock.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Where in the hell did you learn how to drive like that?" he asked.  
  
"Did I do something wrong?"  
  
"Hell no! You just saved our asses!" he grinned.  
  
One by one the team came out back and looked at us, still sitting in the car.  
  
"What the hell happened?" Vince yelled as he clattered down the backstairs. "Where's your mirror?!"  
  
"Sarah! Leon! You ok? " Jesse exclaimed, running to our car.  
  
Leon and I slowly got out and looked at the damage.  
  
"What did you do?!" Letty said looking at the car.  
  
"I over-compensated on a sharp turn." Leon said. "Sarah got us outta there though."  
  
Letty looked at me. "Damn girl. I didn't know you had skills like that!" she said, swatting me on the back as Dom came outside.  
  
"Do I even want to know?" he asked, looking first at the steaming car, then Leon, and then me.  
  
"Dom, relax. The car we can fix." said Leon.  
  
"I know that. Did anyone see you pull into my backyard?!"  
  
I tried to hide my laughter, so I ducked my head.  
  
"You think this is funny Sarah?"  
  
Before I could answer, Vince and Letty exploded in laughter, holding their stomachs and doubling over.  
  
"We do have a driveway you can use next time." growled Dom.  
  
"But Dom --" I said, trying to plead my case " It was full, and if the cops went by, they would have seen us!"  
  
"Yeah Dawg. She did good. Let her be." Vince laughed, walking back up the stairs.  
  
Dom just sighed and looked at the door on the car. "Leon you're doing this repair yourself." he said, pulling Letty into the house with Jesse in tow. Leon and I looked at each other and then followed them inside, sharing one last laugh.  
  
"C'mon, lets go party and celebrate our freedom." Leon said, pulling me close, his arm around my waist.  
  
We made it into the kitchen and Leon pulled out a Corona for himself, and then one of the bottles of wine from last night that I hadn't touched.  
  
"I need to talk to Dom for a minute. You be ok?" he asked, kissing me on the forehead.  
  
"I'll be fine." I said, opening the bottle and taking it with me to the couch. I sat down and poured myself a glass, watching the party around me. Hector came over and sat with me for a few minutes. Then Edwin, and Mia came over to talk. I was happy then, just sitting down and watching the world around me. I had finally found a place where I could be myself. I was comfortable and relaxed. I couldn't have been happier. 


	11. chapter 11

TITLE: Running CHAPTER 11 of many chapters AUTHOR: Daaasl RATING: R for violence DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Vincent, Mia, Brian, Jessie and Letty belong the film company. All the other characters are mine all mine, though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know. FEEDBACK: Please. I like to know what you think. But be gentle with me.  
  
The music was bumping. I felt the bass in my bones as I sat on the couch drinking my wine. As the night moved on, I went from sipping my wine from a glass, to downing it right out of the bottle. Hey. I bought expensive wine and I wasn't about to let it go to waste. I finished off the first bottle fast. I hadn't eaten anything since lunch and the alcohol hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt no pain and that was good. What a wonderful feeling, to have no discomfort, after weeks of constant pain and sore aches! The tension in my back and thighs eased up and I began to relax. I felt like I was in my own little world, casually watching and enjoying life around me. I didn't want the feeling to end. I pulled myself up off the couch, and slowly staggered through the crowd into the kitchen, in search of more relief. I searched the contents of the fridge until I found half a bottle of the wine from dinner the night before. Just as I was pulling my new found friend out of the cold fridge, I felt an arm encompass my waist and pull me tight against a body. I pushed my ass back into the bend of his body, slowly turning around to see Leon's reaction. But when I turned around, the sight in front of me was not at all what I was expecting.  
  
"Mmmmm. Do that again baby" a drunken Hispanic guy slurred as he pulled me in tighter.  
  
"Sorry! "I thought you were somebody else!" I said, trying to pry myself out of his grip.  
  
"Don't stop now." he cooed , as he ran his arms down my back and grabbed my ass.  
  
"HEY! Knock it off!" I demanded, still trying to get loose from his grip  
  
"Aw, baby don't be like that." He nuzzled his face into my neck and started to run his hands up underneath my shirt. I knew there was no way I could get out of his grip. He was much bigger and stronger then I was. I did the only thing I could think of to make him stop. I slapped him hard across his face to get his attention.  
  
"BITCH!!" he hollered, as he let me go. Within a split second he had thrown me across the floor with one hard punch to the face. I scurried backwards on my hands and heels, trying to get away from him. Flashes of Anthony exploded in my consciousness, as I tried to stand up. Another hard blow sent me to the floor again. I looked up at my attacker, praying that I would outlive this. His hand was cocked back and ready to strike again, when he was suddenly pulled backwards and slammed into the refrigerator. Leon had the guy by the throat .  
  
"What the fuck are you doing!?" he spat into the kid's face. I felt two arms slide under mine and lift me. I looked behind me to see Vince. I wanted to say something, but I was gagging on my own blood that was quickly filling my mouth. Out of sheer reaction I spat the blood on the kitchen floor.  
  
The Hispanic kid wasn't about to back off.  
  
"Since when do you care about the whores in here?"  
  
I wanted to tell Leon, it was ok and that I was fine, but Leon was deaf and blind to the world. Vince was pulling me out of the kitchen when Leon punched the Spanish kid so hard his head snapped back and hit the fridge. Leon hit the kid again, and again. I saw rage in his eyes; a determination to do nothing but cause this kid pain. I struggled with Vince, trying to pull myself out of his grip.  
  
"LEON! STOP IT! YOUR'E GOING TO KILL HIM!!" Nothing I said was helping the situation. My yell rose over the music and caught Dom's attention. He rushed past Vince and I to pull Leon off the kid, who was now on the floor bloodied and bruised. Leon was kicking him and stomping him. Sweat poured from his face. Dom grabbed Leon's arms, pulling him off the kid and finally getting him under control.  
  
"Get the FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Leon barked as he got in one last kick before Dom pulled him out of the kitchen. Suddenly the music cut off.  
  
"EVERYBODY OUT!" Dom's voice boomed over the entire household. People began scrambling to gather all their belongings and get out of Dom's way before he let loose on anyone. Mia and Letty had come in during the commotion and ran right over to me. Vince left me in their care and went to Leon, trying to calm him down. I was crying hard. Everything had happened so fast and I felt sick to my stomach.  
  
"What the fuck happened here?" Dom barked out to the team. Leon, whose rage hadn't subsided, answered for the both of us. "Look at her fucking face!" he bellowed. Mia ran to the freezer to get some ice, and Letty went to the sink. Jesse and Brian walked in just in time to see me spit out another mouthful of blood.  
  
"Girl you a'ight?" Letty asked, wiping the blood off my face. I couldn't catch my breath. I was so worked up that I was hyperventilating. I just nodded and tried to calm myself down. "How bad is it?" Dom asked, quieting his tone. "I don't know yet Dom. We'll take care of her." Mia said, shooing the guys out of the kitchen.  
  
"FUCK! I'm going to go clean up." Leon said, as he stormed up the stairs.  
  
******************* Dom and Leon in the bathroom ********************  
  
"Now tell me what really happened." Dom quietly demanded as Leon was rinsing the blood off his knuckles.  
  
"I caught him hitting Sarah, so I pulled him off. He wouldn't just leave well enough alone. He asked for it Dawg." Dom just nodded and watched Leon in the mirror as he tried to calm himself down.  
  
"Leon, you falling for Sarah?"  
  
"Don't start that shit Dom."  
  
"I'm just saying, you don't usually fight for females like that."  
  
"I don't defend skanks and whores. Sarah is -- different, she's one of us."  
  
"Is she?"  
  
"She's part of me Dom." Leon asserted, as he dried off his hands and walked past Dom and down the hall to his room.  
  
******* Back in the kitchen with Sarah, Mia and Letty ********  
  
"You got a split lip, a few cuts, and you are going to have a nasty shiner for the next week, but you'll be fine." Mia said, wiping away the last traces of blood from my chin. Letty returned from the sink with another ice pack. She tossed it onto the table and flopped down in a huff.  
  
"What is it with guys hitting girls?" she asked, not directing the question to anyone in particular.  
  
"It makes them feel powerful and in control." I answered, not realizing how expert I sounded on the subject. Letty looked at me with confusion in her eyes, but before she could say anything, Vince and Jesse walked back into the kitchen.  
  
"You gonna live?" V asked, as he lightly ran his hand over my head before going to the fridge for another Corona.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine."  
  
"Mia, you want me to uh.clean that ?" Jesse said, pointing to the various pools of blood that the Hispanic kid and I had left behind.  
  
"Please Jess." Mia said, putting a bandage over my eyebrow.  
  
Everyone around me was so intent on making sure I was ok, and all I wanted to do was crawl under a rock and die. I felt horrible. How could I have managed to ruin the party like that? It was my own damn fault. I should have been more careful. But I wanted to be big shot and drink myself into oblivion. Now I was fighting an inner battle to sober up and I was losing miserably. My head was still spinning and I was in worse condition then when I had started. I rested my elbows on the table and hung my head in my hands. I let out a heavy sigh.  
  
"Sorry I ruined the party." I said to the floor, not able to look up and face any of them.  
  
"You didn't ruin anything." I heard Dom say as he entered the kitchen. "Nasty shiner your gonna have."  
  
"I've dealt with worse." I shrugged off, as if the split lip was nothing. DAMNIT! That was the second time I'd slipped. No more wine for me.  
  
Slowly, one by one, everyone left the kitchen, giving different excuses each time. That left me and Dom sitting across from each other at the table.  
  
"You sure you're all right?" Dom asked. He sounded genuinely concerned. I just nodded. I still felt horribly embarrassed and drunk.  
  
"Is Leon-?"  
  
"He's fine. He'll be down in a second." Again all I could do was nod. But I needed to apologize, especially to Dom. It was his house and I just made a mess out of myself, the house, and ruined the party.  
  
"Dom, I'm.I'm sorry, It all happened so fast, I-"  
  
"From what I heard, the asshole deserved it." I faked a smile before the tears swelled up again at the sight of Leon standing in the doorway.  
  
"Are you o.k.?" we both asked each other in unison. I had to laugh at that, even though I only managed a swift exhalation. Dom just winked at me and left the kitchen. Leon took Dom's place across from me. He took my chin in his hand and turned my face from side to side to see the injuries.  
  
"Bastard." he whispered. I took Leon's hand and saw the damage to his knuckles and fingers.  
  
"Oh Jesus!" I said and bolted up to grab an icepack for his hands. His knuckles were raw, and both hands were swollen. I returned to the table and held his hands with the ice over them. I just shook my head and tears welled up in my eyes.  
  
"I'm so sorry Leon. It's all my fault."  
  
"Don't you dare say that Sarah! That kid was an asshole and deserved it. Maybe next time he'll think twice before putting his hands all over a female." He pulled one of his hands out of mine to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. I smiled softly, swaying slightly in my chair.  
  
"You ok?" he asked, concerned.  
  
"I'm still drunk as hell." I said, trying to keep my composure.  
  
"C'mon. You need some rest anyway." Leon led me carefully up the stairs and into his room. As soon as he closed the door, I pulled him in close to me and kissed him, split lip and all. It hurt like hell, but I didn't care. I felt I owed Leon at least that much, for everything he had done for me. I began running my hands up and down his chest, pulling him in closer for more passionate kisses. At first Leon responded to me, holding me tight. But then, he pushed himself away from me, and held me at arms length.  
  
"Sarah, what are you doing?" he asked, catching his breath. "I thought this was what you wanted." I said, looking at him confused. I swayed in his grasp. He just stared at me for a minute.  
  
"No. Not like this Sarah." Leon let go of my arms, turned slowly and walked towards the door. I just stood there, dumbfounded. I didn't understand what was going on and couldn't think straight enough to question the situation. Leon was halfway at the door before he turned around.  
  
"Get some rest Sarah." he said, and then shut the door behind him quietly. How dare he! I couldn't believe I finally give in to my attraction to him and he pushes me aside!  
  
I tore off the cat suit, threw on a tee shirt, climbed into the bed, and cried. My hot tears burned in my fresh wounds. Soon, I was too exhausted to cry anymore, and finally succumbed to sleep. 


	12. Revelations

TITLE: Running CHAPTER 12 of many chapters AUTHOR: Daaasl RATING: R for violence and sex DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Vincent, Mia, Brian, Jessie and Letty belong the film company. All the other characters are mine all mine, though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know. FEEDBACK: Please. I like to know what you think. But be gentle with me.  
  
Leon's POV  
  
I shut the door to my room, leaving Sarah drunk, hot and horny. If it had been some skank from the party, I probably -- No, I DEFINITELY would have fucked her, right there, standing up! But Sarah was different. She wasn't interested in me just because I knew Dom, or had a connection to the racing scene. Shit. She didn't even realize just how big the family was around here. She was too pure for me to pounce.  
  
God, I didn't know why, but I didn't want her just for a quick fuck. I couldn't live with myself if I used her like that. I shook off my thoughts, and went downstairs to find Brian and Dom sitting in the kitchen. Brian missed most of our previous action, but I knew he had been filled in on the information.  
  
"Yo, Dawg. Whatcha got for me?" I said, as I pulled 3 Coronas out of the fridge for us.  
  
"Sit down." was all Dom said. I knew by the tone in his voice, that whatever Brian had found out, I didn't want to hear. Finally Brian spoke up.  
  
"I ran the name you gave me Leon. Anthony Perello; 27 years old; turns out to be the son of the late Frank Perello; Cappo for the Genovese crime family in New York from 1984-1995."  
  
My heart dropped, and my eyes grew wide. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  
  
"Reputed local gangster." continued Brian. "He has his hands in just about everything, from numbers and loan sharking, to grand theft auto. He runs a few chop shops in the NY/NJ area."  
  
"Dawg, this-" I blurted.  
  
"Let Brian finish" Dom cut me off.  
  
"He has a rap sheet as long as my arm. He's been arrested for everything, all the way from misdemeanor shoplifting up to racketeering.  
  
"What about violent crimes?" I had to ask.  
  
"2 arrests for simple assault when he was a juvie -- One when he was 21, but nothing since."  
  
"She never reported him, Leon." Dom pointed out.  
  
"Would you?" I slammed my hand on the table. "She's scared to death of him!"  
  
"Yeah, and knowing these mafia types, he probably had half the department on his payroll." Brian added. "She had nowhere to go." My blood started to boil.  
  
"Even if she'd had him arrested, he would have made bail the same night." I rationalized  
  
"Coming right back for her." Dom said, finishing my thought  
  
"Exactly." Brian agreed. "But she isn't involved with any of his shit, is she?"  
  
"Well, she told Mia she used to run the books at his shops. So technically yeah. She was involved." Dom stated.  
  
" YOU try saying 'No' to a guy like that." I attacked  
  
"I would have." replied Dom.  
  
"You're not Sarah!"  
  
The banter stopped. When Brian spoke up again he said, "The only way you're going to know, is if you ask her. Her name only appears as a girlfriend, and from the report, she was one of many."  
  
"Mia made it sound like she thought they were exclusive." I puzzled.  
  
"She probably never knew." Dom said  
  
"I can't believe it! I exploded. "That son-of-a-bitch beat the shit outta her, locked her up in the house, and then would go out and fuck anything moving. GOD DAMNIT!"  
  
My chair flew back across the floor as I jolted out of my seat. I was so angry I couldn't sit still. I flew out of the kitchen and into the backyard, my fists clenched and my arms shaking with rage. ANTHONY. That was the new name of my personal devil.  
  
"If he comes looking for her. I'll kill him." I said to Dominic as he stepped down off the back porch.  
  
"Leon?"  
  
"No, Dawg. I don't want to hear it."  
  
"This is bigger then we can handle Leon."  
  
"FUCK YOU DOM! Every time you have ever wanted me to do something for you, I did it. No question's asked. And now, when I need you at my back, you pull this shit. You're kicking her out!"  
  
"Leon, I-"  
  
"Fuck that. I'm out too then. I'll pack my shit tomorrow! I-"  
  
"LEON!" His sudden roar of rage caught me off guard. I froze in place and stared at him in fury. The stare down that took place between the two of us would have killed anyone caught in the crossfire.  
  
"You - are - not - going - anywhere. Neither is Sarah. Just calm the fuck down and talk to her Leon. Shit. You are probably the only one she will talk to anyway."  
  
My anger didn't pass. I felt the rage still boiling in my veins. I held Dom's eyes steady in my glare.  
  
"Leon. Dawg. She's not your-"  
  
"Mother! Is that what you want to say, Dom? I know she's not my mother, but when I see Sarah, I see her there too.  
  
"Don't you think I know that? What the hell do you think I've been talking about since she got here? I could see it in your eyes. But Leon, she's not your problem."  
  
"I've already made it my problem." I stated flatly  
  
"Think of everything you have worked for, with us here Leon. Are you willing to throw all of that away on her? You don't even really know this girl."  
  
"Just like we didn't know Brian!"  
  
Dom's face turned cold. "Leon." he said, warning me.  
  
"No Dom. "We always trust you to make the right decisions, and sometimes you don't. I'm telling you Dawg. We can't just give up on this girl."  
  
Dom quietly let everything register, then nodded slowly.  
  
"You talk to her Leon."  
  
"I swear I will, but I'm not gonna push at her."  
  
"You may have to push a little Leon. We need to know what we are dealing with here. This isn't some street fight. This is Mafia we're talking about. We're not making any moves until we know what's going on. This shit is no joke, Leon."  
  
"I know Dawg. I know."  
  
Dom went back in the house, but I was too out of it to return to the house just yet. I sat on the hood of my car that was still in the backyard from earlier in the night. I pulled out my Newports, lit a stick and dragged on it deeply. My tension slowly started to ease. After the cigarette, I walked back inside, took a quick shower, and returned to my room. Sarah was fast asleep in my tee shirt, curled on her side. Her hair, over her face, hid the bruises around her eye and mouth. I sat down on the edge of the bed and just watched her sleeping for awhile. How many nights had she slept alone, battered and bruised, while Anthony was out whoring around?  
  
My thoughts drifted back to my mother. My father beat my mom and I both. There was never any particular reason. He usually started by slapping me around and she would try to defend me. Then he would turn on her and beat her until she couldn't move. Mostly he beat her the worst. I remembered the broken bones; the blood and the bruises. I was about twelve when one day I guess she couldn't take it anymore. She had just barely healed up from one of the worst beatings he'd ever given her and I guess she could see he was working his way up to another one. She split with out a note -- not a goodbye or anything. She left me there alone to defend myself the best I could. I hated her so much for that. I escaped by running off myself, when I was thirteen, and I had never been able to forgive her for abandoning me like she did.  
  
Now, I began to see my mother's side of the story, through Sarah. I felt some of the bitterness slowly wash away from my soul. I couldn't blame my mom for leaving like she did. Now I could see how terrified she had been. She was trying to save herself. She was scared to take me with her. Maybe she was afraid I would slow her down, and then Dad would find her and finally kill her. Maybe she thought if she ran away Dad might even beat me less. Fear can make you crazy. It makes your rational thought process become so warped, you can't think right.  
  
  
  
I slid slowly and quietly into bed and snuggled up against Sarah. Instinctively she reached for my arm and pulled it over herself. It was if my arm was her protector. I felt her warmth, and smelled her hair. I pulled her in tighter to me, and closed my eyes. It felt so right with her next to me. I swore that night, I would never let anyone hurt her like that again. 


	13. The past

TITLE: Running CHAPTER 13 of many chapters AUTHOR: Daaasl RATING: R for violence and sex DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Vincent, Mia, Brian, Jessie and Letty belong the film company. All the other characters are mine all mine, though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know. FEEDBACK: Please. I like to know what you think. But be gentle with me.  
  
Sara's POV  
  
I rolled over in the morning to see Leon sleeping, still in his clothes, right at my side. A wave of relief washed over me. Thank God, I didn't completely ruin everything. I touched my wounds and surprisingly they didn't hurt as bad as I thought they would. The events of last night replayed in my head, and I couldn't help but groan first. And then I smiled. Leon had been the first person in my life ever, to jump in when I was being hurt. Well -- there was Rayna, but that was a whole other story.  
  
It had been 3 weeks since I'd known Leon, and his patience with me was constant and steady. After all the bullshit I'd been through, it looked like I'd finally found someone that was willing to take his time with me. That meant more to me then anything. Here I was, in his bed, in his clothes, wondering about how I was going tell him about my past. It seemed only fair to clue him in. At least on some of it. Leon had already seen the scar on my neck. I was sure he'd figured some of it out on his own. Leon was not a stupid man. But I thought that it was only fair that I clue him in. He deserved the truth about me -- at least some of the truth. I ran my fingers lightly up and down his arm. I loved the way his skin felt, so hard and smooth at the same time, it was hard to explain, but I couldn't get enough. I ran my fingers up his arm across his neck, up his chin and around his jaw line, taking in his sleeping form...until he opened his eyes. I didn't stop, I just looked at him, and continued to trace my fingers over his face. He smiled and stared into my eyes.  
  
"Morning beautiful." his raspy voice murmured to me. A faint smile crept over my face.  
  
"Hey." I managed to whisper. I hadn't realized how upset my thought had made me until I heard my voice crack. Leon looked at me with slight confusion in his eyes.  
  
"That shiner's not as bad as I thought it would be." he said.  
  
I felt his fingers gently caress my face. Instinctively my eyes closed and I leaned into his touch for the first time. It felt so good.  
  
"I think I'm ready now." The words slipped from my mouth before I even knew what I was saying.  
  
"Ready for what?" he asked.  
  
"To tell you about me. To tell you about my past."  
  
His eyes dropped and a look of regret washed over him. Why was he feeling bad about this?  
  
"Are you sure? Sarah you don't owe me-"  
  
"I want to tell you. You've been so patient with me Leon. I feel as though I owe you an explanation about my behavior. Maybe you'll understand why I have sent you so many mixed signals, after you have heard me out."  
  
I felt ashamed suddenly. I had never been the kind of person to lead anyone on, but since I had run from Anthony I had been so confused about what I wanted, that I had been throwing curve balls without realizing it. I laid back down on my side of the bed, and shook my head, reprimanding myself for the way I had been treating Leon. He propped himself up on his elbow and turned to face me.  
  
"Your signals have been O.K. I can cope." he smiled, trying to catch my gaze. Still, I could tell by his tone that he felt almost as uncomfortable as I did at that moment. Panic and fear were building inside me, but I was determined to tell Leon. I took a deep, ragged breath and began.  
  
"Anthony was my fiancée'. We were together off and on for about 4 years. At first things were ok. I mean, he was never one for romance. that just wasn't Anthony's style. But he took good care of me, bought me anything I wanted, and protected me from anyone who even looked at me wrong. I should have seen the warning signs in his over-protectiveness, and jealousy, but I was blinded by my love. I didn't understand it wasn't healthy or right until it was too late."  
  
By this time, Leon was laying on his back, and I moved over to his side and rested my head on his chest. I took another deep breath, and tried to build up my courage, and then I felt him hands run through my hair.  
  
"Hey, its ok." he said. That was all Leon needed to say for me to continue my story.  
  
"My mother and I would fight about him all the time. It got to the point where I decided to leave home and live with him, just so I wouldn't have to argue with her about it anymore. We got a place up in North Jersey because I was going to school up there at the time. Less than 6 months later, it started. Anthony would want to know where I was at every minute of the day. He called almost every hour and if I didn't answer the phone, he wanted to know where I was and who I was with. If I took too long coming home from my college classes, he would question me, lecture me, and give me a stern warnings about being to friendly with other students.. His temper was intimidating to say the least. I had always been so free spirited, but I guess he didn't find that attractive anymore. I guess it just fueled Anthony's jealousy and raised his temper to the breaking point."  
  
I sat up, leaned over Leon, and grabbed a Newport off of his bed table. I looked at Leon and held a cigarette up, and raised my eyebrows, silently, asking if he wanted one.  
  
"Cut me." Leon said.  
  
I nodded my head, lit up, took a few drags to keep myself calm, than looked back over at him.  
  
"You all right?" he asked, sitting up and nudging me. I just nodded and took another drag off the cigarette.  
  
"I didn't know what Anthony was involved in when I met him. And when I did find out, I was excited by it at first. God, how stupid I was! I mean, his lifestyle was exciting to me!" I took another long drag off the cigarette.  
  
"What do you mean? What was he into?" Leon looked at me with interest.  
  
Before I could tell Leon, I had to make sure he knew I wasn't involved.  
  
"Anthony made his life sound so much more glamorous then it was. It looked liked a lifestyle I wanted to live, on the outside, but once I was in, I was in hell."  
  
"Why Sarah?"  
  
"Anthony Perrelo. Perrelo. Does the name mean anything to you?" I asked.  
  
Leon shrugged. "No. Is it supposed to?" he replied.  
  
"Frank Perrelo was the Capo of the Genovese crime family for years before he died. Anthony is Frank Perrelo's youngest son." I handed Leon the other half of the butt, and scooted down to the end of the bed. Leon just sat there, with his mouth slightly open in dismay and disbelief.  
  
"Where are you going Sarah?" Leon asked me. I felt his hand on my shoulder.  
  
"Sarah, don't.." he began.  
  
"Don't what Leon?" Suddenly my attitude came out. I was getting angry at Leon because he wanted me to continue.  
  
"Don't stop now Sarah. You are the one who wanted to talk about this O.K.? Well, I want to listen. So don't shut me out now, O.K.?"  
  
Our eyes locked for a moment, and his emerald ones asked me to stay, and tell him. I shrugged his hand off my shoulder and slowly scooted myself back up to the head of the bed.  
  
"It's funny." I told Leon. "I was the only one who thought Anthony was important. Everyone else thought he was a joke. Anthony hated my friends and because he made it so obvious, after awhile they quit coming around. Like I told you a minute ago -- if Anthony saw me talking to anyone when he came to pick me up from classes, he would grill me for hours about who they were and what we were talking about. He never believed me. He thought I was having affairs and flirting and he would slap me or punch me when I would get angry and protest that I was innocent."  
  
The memories of the violence made me nervous and I scooted away from Leon, and over to the edge of the bed. I stood up and began to slowly pace back and forth next to it, watching Leon's eyes following me, and thinking back to the beginning.  
  
Leon watched me patiently, his face encouraging me to continue. After a minute or two, I took another deep breath and began again.  
  
"I was so upset and embarrassed the first time Anthony gave huge bruise on my jaw, that I hid in the house for days and wouldn't go out in public. It was humiliating. I had always been strong, independent and happy. Suddenly I found I was living with someone who blamed me for making them unhappy, and he was punishing me! First it was just pushing or shoving, or a punch on my thigh when we were in the car. It hurt! The bruises were awful and I hid all of them that I could."  
  
Leon's forehead furrowed in anger, but he didn't say a word. He nodded to encourage me to continue.  
  
"I quit going to visit my girlfriends because I didn't want to upset Anthony or make him start accusing me of seeing another man again! Anthony was sure that I was unfaithful and he would keep me up night after night with yelling and accusations and lectures and threats. It was a nightmare. I was falling apart and I finally had to quit school too."  
  
"Looking back now, I can see that Anthony was a pathetic jerk." I told Leon. Anthony was self-centered, selfish, greedy, boastful and cowardly. No one respected him. After his father died, they just . . . . They just tolerated him out of respect for the family name. Every time he tried to get into something big, Pops would always turn him down. He didn't want to have anything to do with him, and made sure that most people in the family din't have business with him either."  
  
Leon stubbed out the cigarette.  
  
"Who is Pops?"  
  
"Pops was like my surrogate father." I answered. "He was the one who really ran the family up in North Jersey. He hated Anthony even more than the others did, I think, but for some reason Pops took a liking to me. Pops was always checking up on me. You know. He would make sure I was taken care of. He visited me one time in the hospital when Anthony had hurt me bad and broken my cheekbone. Pops drove me to my mother's home, begging me to leave Anthony, all the way to the house."  
  
Pops. God I missed him.  
  
(Flashback) "Bella, stay with me. That prick can't hurt you when I'm around."  
  
"No pops, I will stay with my mother until I can get on my feet. You have already done so much to help by paying my hospital bill. I can't ask you to do that."  
  
Pops shrugged and shook his head in sorrow. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a roll of bills. "Here. You take this, but you don't spend. You save it, and never go back to him Bella. Please. I don't want that pretty face to be hurt or broken no more." I smiled through my tears at Pops and thanked him. (END FLASHBACK)  
  
"Hey, you in there?" I felt Leon's hand on my wrist. He had leaned across the bed to where I had stopped pacing next to it, and was looking into my eyes with concern.  
  
"Where was I...? oh...!" I tried to re-gather my thoughts.  
  
You know the scar on my neck?" I asked Leon. He let go of my wrist as I reached up my hands and pushed my hair up off my neck so he could see it. Leon frowned and nodded.  
  
"Well, that was 2 years ago. Anthony missed a shipment and I caught a mirror. He actually threw me right through my favorite mirror."  
  
I was laughing in disgust by this point, trying to force the pain and tears of my past back down.  
  
"Missed a shipment?" asked Leon, sitting back and looking confused.  
  
"Anthony ran some chop shops in NYC. Since no one in the family wanted anything to do with him, he started his own shops with some young boys he knew. One night he was supposed to go down to the docks and pick up a big shipment of imports. Instead he decided to get piss drunk and passed out, missing the entire shipment. When he woke up..."  
  
The memories of shattered glass and blood everywhere filled my mind and I couldn't hold back the tears building in my eyes.  
  
"Sarah?" Leon whispered. I could see my pain reflected in his eyes. He wanted to keep me from re-living the moment, but I had to get it out.  
  
"NO! I have to finish this!" I took a deep breath.  
  
"When Anthony woke up, he must have realized that he'd blown it. I was already asleep but I got a rude awakening to say the least. Anthony blamed me, of course, for his missing the shipment. He yanked me up out of bed and before I was even awake, I was through the mirror. I don't really remember much after that."  
  
The tears were falling freely from my eyes now. I wiped them away and kept going. If I was ever going to get through this I had to continue. I closed my eyes, thinking back. Leon was silent.  
  
"Anthony came to the hospital with flowers and gifts, and he broke down and cried, pleading and begging me to forgive him; telling me how horribly sorry he was. I bought it. I wanted to believe that he would change. So I stayed. I stayed for another 18 months after that."  
  
"Hey, are you ok?" Leon asked.  
  
"Yeah. I just need to get this all out before I lose my nerve." I sat down on the edge of the bed and put my head in my hands.  
  
"OK." Leon said softly and he moved over closer to me and started to gently rub my back, trying to comfort me as my tears flowed.  
  
I raised my head, wiped my eyes and began again.  
  
"It just got worse after that. I lived in constant fear of his anger and his fists and feet. Anthony knew I was scared. He used my fear against me. He used my fear to control me, and I was so depressed and beaten down, that I no longer knew how to think properly. Nothing made sense. I felt hopeless and so ashamed. I was so terrified of his rage, and the beatings. I just wanted him to not hurt me. It went on for the next 2 years, and every time I got a little courage to stand up to him, I paid the price for my disobedience."  
  
"I don't understand Sarah. Why didn't you leave him a long time ago? Why didn't you go with Pops?" Leon asked me. I could hear the anger and confusion in his voice.  
  
"Leon, I tried. I tried a few times, but if I left and went to my mother's or my best friend's home, he would find me each time. Then he would come crying and begging my forgiveness and I believed him when he said that he could change. Then for the next few weeks after I went home with him, he would be perfect and kind and loving to me. After a few years, even that changed. The last two times I ran away, he threatened to kill my family and my friends. God help me, he is so crazy, I know he would, too!"  
  
I sighed deeply.  
  
"I could never bring myself to go to Pops. I was so ashamed to have to rely on him for anything. If I was to run to my mother or my friends, I would be endangering them. I reached the end of my rope Leon."  
  
I walked around slowly to the other side of the bed, and took another cigarette out of the pack. Leon moved across the bed to where I was standing, lit the cigarette for me and wiped the tears off my face. He was very still, quiet, and patient -- carefully watching my face; looking into my eyes. "How kind this man is, I thought.  
  
Then I continued, "For me, the end after my last beating. It was a milder punishment. He didn't break any bones this time." I sneered. Anthony just concentrated on kicking me up and down my back, as I laid curled up in a fetal position trying to protect my stomach chest and face. Anthony kicked me repeatedly, over my kidneys, my ribs, my legs. I woke up in the hospital again. But after two weeks, and right before I could be discharged, I sneaked out of the hospital while Anthony was at a meeting in Philly with the rest of his soldier buddies."  
  
"Soldiers?" Leon asked with a perplexed look on his face.  
  
"Soldiers in the mob, you know, you got soldiers, bosses, under bosses, Capos and soldiers."  
  
"Oh. ok." Leon answered.  
  
"So I knew Anthony would be gone, I had a day head start. I went home, packed up and planned my escape."  
  
"You didn't just leave?" asked Leon.  
  
"No, I waited for him to come home, made him his favorite dinner, and spiked it with my pain pills. I don't know whether I was trying to kill him or what but . . . When he was out, I left. Then a few days later I met you."  
  
I quit my slow pacing and faced Leon with my arms hanging at my side. I watched his face, trying to see what he was thinking.  
  
Leon closed his eyes and shook his head slowly.  
  
"I don't know what to say Sarah. I'm so. sorry that your life was such shit." He looked down and shook his head again. I reached out and took his chin, lifting his face so I could see his eyes again.  
  
"Hey Leon. It isn't your fault. You didn't do anything bad to me. You have been . . . You are the kindest man I've ever met. Please, don't feel bad Leon. Its better now. Anthony isn't hurting me anymore."  
  
His green eyes looked back at me and I felt my heart skip. He reached up for my hands and pulled me down on the bed beside him again. Then he kissed me softly and gently, like a benediction. His lips gently and slowly moved from one side of my face to the other and then stopped at my lips. He kissed my lips, and I could taste my own tears that had flowed over my cheeks. Leon moved his hands slowly and softly down my face and my neck; to my shoulders, and down my back.  
  
I leaned into him with a small, shuddering sigh and we slid down onto the bed together, in each other's arms. I stretched my body the length of him and hooked my upper leg around his. Leon's kisses became even slower and more smoldering and I felt our breathing thicken and deepen together. As he kissed me, he slowly and gently rolled me over on my back, and I felt the weight of his chest resting on mine, his arms wrapped around me strong and warm. I could feel my body relaxing and welcoming him completely into my arms. With a soft moan, I returned his deep kisses, bringing my hands up to his face, and then tangling my fingers in his thick, wavy hair.  
  
My body, and my heart responded to the sound of his breath in my ear and his lips on my neck. I held onto him, drawing him closer -- feeling his heart and mine pounding with urgency. I clutched Leon as if he were the only thing I had left in this world, to hold onto. I felt his hands move down my sides, touching me and stroking me. His hands reached my ass, and pulled my hips firmly towards him.  
  
Suddenly the door was flung open!  
  
"Yo, breakfast is on the -- WHOA!" Vince burst in the room without warning.  
  
I gave a yelp of surprise and Leon sat up abruptly with a scowl on his face.  
  
"Can't you knock Dawg! DAYUM!" Leon roared, as he jumped off the bed and shoved a laughing and embarrassed Vince out of the room. I pulled the bed's comforter over my head and sank under it.  
  
"Man, I am so sorry bout that Sarah. Old Coyote has no damn sense sometimes." Leon growled as he crawled back onto the bed next to me.  
  
"Oh my God, I can't believe that just happened!" I groaned, my voice muffled by the comforter.  
  
Leon reached out and pulled the comforter away out of my hands and uncovered my very embarrassed face.  
  
"Don't worry about Vince. He's O.K. He just wasn't thinking as usual." said Leon.  
  
"No! I meant I shouldn't have let us get that far Leon."  
  
"Don't tell me that Sarah." Leon spoke sharply, and looked into my eyes intently.  
  
I looked back at him in startled shock. "But-"  
  
"Don't do it Sarah. Don't open up to me like that and then shut down when I am beginning to get closer to you."  
  
I blushed furiously and snipped at Leon defensively. "Oh? So, like you are a big Guru on Love now? How many relationships have you been in?"  
  
Leon looked at me closely for a minute, thinking hard, deciding whether to be pissed at me or not. Then he visibly relaxed, raised one eyebrow and smiled at me broadly. "O.K. Sarah. Whatever you want." he shrugged as he looked at me. Then he kissed me gently on the forehead. My attitude subsided and I let out a little laugh.  
  
"Thank you for telling me about what happened Sarah."  
  
"Please don't-"  
  
"I won't tell a soul Sarah. I promise."  
  
Leon kissed me gently on the lips and tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear tenderly. He pulled the comforter back up to my chin gently and then rolled off of the bed. With one last smile, over his shoulder, Leon left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. I heard his steps down the hall and descent into the kitchen where he was greeted with cat whistles. Obviously Vince had informed the rest of the team downstairs about his little discovery this morning.  
  
The last thing I wanted to deal with was the team. I took my time, trying to avoid judgmental eyes and questions. After a long shower, I got dressed and was slowly applying some light concealer to the mouse under my eye when Mia opened the door and came into the room.  
  
"Soooooo?"  
  
"What Mia?" I said half laughing  
  
"I was right wasn't I?"  
  
"Right about what?"  
  
"Don't be coy with me Sarah, I can see the glow."  
  
She was right. I couldn't stop smiling. Mia pulled me to my feet and led me down the stairs.  
  
"C'mon. We're going out. Just you and me. Then you can tell me all about it." "What about Letty?"  
  
"She's over at the garage already."  
  
"On a Saturday?"  
  
"Yup. She and Jessie had to finish up a car that a customer wants today, and the rest of the guys are going to the gym for a while. You and I have a few hours to get to know each other better." she said smiling, as she pulled me outside.  
  
"We'll take my car. I feel like driving today, it being so nice and all."  
  
"Don't put the top down, my hair will go flying" Mia protested  
  
"Aw! C'mon Mia, let the wind whip through that hair, it feels great!"  
  
"OK OK OK. But we only have a few hours, then I promised Dom we would bring the guys lunch at the garage later."  
  
"Yeah whatever." I said, hopping into the car.  
  
We hopped in the car and drove off, towards the mall, singing and laughing the whole way. I was so happy, I wasn't paying attention to the black Escalade that was following us. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	14. Leon's guilt

TITLE: Running CHAPTER 14 of many chapters AUTHOR: Daaasl/Anastasia RATING: R for violence and sex DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Vincent, Mia, Brian, Jesse and Letty belong the film company. All the other characters are mine all mine, though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: You can find previous chapters at: http://www.realmofvindiesel.homestead.com Anyone else wanting to post my fanfic on their site, please check with me. FEEDBACK: Please. I like to know what you think. But be gentle with me.  
  
After a good 5 minutes of cat whistles and teasing at breakfast, the team finally laid off of me and broke up their happy little Pestering Party. I made sure Vince knew I wasn't happy about him coming downstairs to let the whole team in on what he discovered.  
  
"Thanks a lot Dawg!" I sneered, as I walked past him into the living room.  
  
Vince raised his eyebrows in dismay. "Aw, C'mon brother, no harm done."  
  
"Sometimes you have no sense." I growled.  
  
"Man, I've never knocked on your door before I came in." he complained.  
  
"That's because I've never had someone else staying in my room!" I shouted.  
  
My words registered with Vince and he shut his mouth. He opened it again, as if to say something but I shook my head and retreated to the backyard before I would have to hear him. I loved him to death, but sometimes he just didn't think. I walked out back and finally saw the damage to my car in the hard light of day. I had really slammed her hard into that concrete wall. It would take me at least a week to fix the door, the mirror, and replace the rims I scratched up. Oh, well. Jesse had been dying to add some new decals on it anyway.  
  
I lit up a cigarette and heard the back door open. Dom and Jesse came out and stood on the back porch.  
  
"C'mon Leon. We'll take your ride down to the garage, then go to the gym and work out some of that stress." Dom ordered. Jesse came down the steps and just stood there staring at my car, looking like he was about to cry.  
  
"Awwww. Dayum Leon." Jesse said, as he began walking up and down slowly beside my car and examining all the damage. "Hey. If I help you, can I--- "  
  
"Yeah Jess. You can decal it." I said.  
  
"Yes!!" He pumped his fist and ran back up the steps. We headed inside, with Dom following. I looked up at my bedroom window and saw Sarah's silhouette behind the curtains. She was pacing, again. I flicked my cigarette away and went back inside the house, heading for the stairs when Brian stopped me.  
  
"C'mon dude. Your gym bag is still in my car. You ready?"  
  
I looked up towards the upper landing, then back at the guys who were all staring and waiting for me.  
  
"Yeah." I said. "V? Follow me to the garage so I can drop her off." I said, pointing to the backyard.  
  
"Whatever." he shrugged, and then grabbed his keys.  
  
"We'll meet you down at the gym then." Dom said, as he turned and moved with Brian and Jesse out the door. Letty followed behind Dom, grabbed Jesse's arm gently, and pulled him away with her.  
  
"Sorry, but me and Jess have to finish that Nissan by noon." Letty told Dom, as they headed down the front porch stairs.  
  
"I forgot." Dom said looking up from the sidewalk.  
  
"OK, Jess. We'll see you at the garage later." he called out, as he and Brian got into Brian's car.  
  
I walked back through the house, jumped in my car, pulled it out of the backyard, and headed down to the garage too. Vince was right behind me. When we got to the garage, I left my baby in Jesse's care and got into Vince's car. For a while our ride was silent. Vince had on some crazy shit music, but I wasn't about to get into another argument, so I just stared out the window.  
  
"Don't tell me you're still pissed." Vince said, finally breaking the silence.  
  
"I'm not man. You just freaked her out is all."  
  
"I'm sure she's been in those situations before." Vince said.  
  
My head snapped around and I stared at him like I'd never seen him before.  
  
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean Dawg?!"  
  
"Nothing, I'm just saying-" he stuttered.  
  
"Well stop saying it man. Sarah ain't like that." I bit out before he could finish his thought.  
  
"Dayuuumm. Touchy this morning, aren't we?"  
  
"Whatever, V, just. " I shrugged.  
  
In my frustration, my thought processes weren't working very well.  
  
After a moment more of silence, V suddenly turned his head to look at me in surprise. "Oh shit!" Vince exclaimed. "I can't believe I didn't see it before! You're sweet on this trick aren't you?."  
  
Instinctively, I reacted. Before I could stop myself, I nailed V in the arm with a hard punch that rocked him into the drivers' side car door. We swerved almost hitting a car parked alongside the road.  
  
"Yo! What the fuck man?" V regained control of the car pushing himself away from the door. He turned his head to glare at me angrily.  
  
"Don't you ever call her that again!" I shouted at him. "You don't know shit about her!"  
  
Vince just glared at me for a couple of minutes and after a long silence he finally smirked. He knew better then to say anything more to me and returned to paying attention to the road. When we finally pulled up in front of the gym, I stormed out of his car, slamming the door, and barreling inside to look for Brian.  
  
"Hey Leon, here's your---" Brian said as I snatched my bag out of his hands. I changed in the locker room, went outside and was hitting the heavy bag within 5 minutes. I needed to let go of the stress that was building inside me. I had so many different emotions running through me that I didn't know how to handle it.  
  
Without realizing it, Sarah had brought back a lot of memories for me. Memories of me and my mom at the mercy of my father's beatings. Memories of my mom abandoning me to fend for myself. My loneliness, fear and frustration. The years of living on the street alone before Dom found me and took me in. I saw my father's face before me and I began to beat the hell out of the heavy bag. I threw combination after combination, striking high, low, inside and out. I struck with all the fury of my fears, grief, and rage. I didn't hear Dom talking to me until he grabbed the bag and his voice boomed out.  
  
"LEON!!"  
  
I snapped out of my trance, and realized that everyone around us was staring at me. I was panting, my chest rise and falling so fast I could barely catch my breath. I looked over at Vince and Brian. They both had concerned looks on their faces. I looked past them to see Jackass Jack Leopold, manager of the gym. He had a huge grin on his face.  
  
"I knew you had it in you Leon." Jack yelled out to me. He always hounded me to fight for him. He said I had a fighter's instinct and fury. Some bullshit like that. He was always ragging on me until he got on my last nerve, but I refused, and tried to ignore his annoying persistence.  
  
"Fuck you!" I snapped at Jack, before taking a deep breath and returning my gaze to Dom.  
  
"What the fuck is this all about?" Dom said, looking at me closely.  
  
"You told me to relieve my stress didn't you?"  
  
"Mmhmm. And what about coming down on V so hard, and the way you are trying to kill this bag here?" he asked me.  
  
"I don't want to be your spy anymore Dom." I said turning my back on him and walking over to the mats.  
  
I thought our conversation was over, but Dom just needed a moment to think about things before he came over to talk to me some more. I was into my first rep of sit-ups when he finally followed me and stepped up to the edge of the mats.  
  
"What are you talking about Leon?" he asked me.  
  
I sat up and looked up at Dom. "I don't want to be your spy anymore. I thought I was clear." I said, and went back to my sit-ups.  
  
"Spy for what?" Dom asked with a puzzled expression in his eyes.  
  
"Spying on Sarah, Dom. I can't do that anymore. It ain't right to do that to her."  
  
"What did you find out Leon?"  
  
I stopped my sit-ups and looked up at Dom again. His look told me that I had no choice in this matter. He needed to know what I knew.  
  
"I learned that this Anthony is a low-life piece of shit. He is a weasel and punk. Nobody has respect for him. After his father died, everyone in the..whatever it's called. cut him loose. He started up his own bullshit operations, and was fucking that up too."  
  
"Leon, what do you mean when you say nobody has respect for him?"  
  
"He's a user, a cheat, and an asshole, and everyone knows it. Sarah was the only person that believed in his sorry ass, and look where that got her. He's worthless and not a threat Dom."  
  
Dom just nodded thoughtfully. "You know I have to fill the team in on what's going on Leon."  
  
"Fine. Do whatever you want man, but from now on, I'm not going to be pumping her for information. I promised her I wouldn't say anything Dom, even knowing I was lying to her. I feel like shit" I turned my head away from Dom in my disgust for my own behavior, and mumbled the last few words, although I didn't really care if Dom heard me or not.  
  
"Hey Leon. We had to know. You knew that we had to know, in order for us to protect ourselves."  
  
"Yeah. Well, I still feel like a piece of shit."  
  
"Leon. Sarah is going to stay with us, if that is what she wants. Does that make you feel better?"  
  
"Not really -- I guess -- I don't know!" I said, in frustration.  
  
I got up and went over to the speed bag. Dom didn't follow me this time. He let me finish out my workout.  
  
After our workouts, we all showered, dressed, and went back to the garage. I had to start on my car, and I knew I would be seeing Sarah in a few hours when Mia bought over lunch for us.  
  
Dom called everyone else into the office, but me. He gave me a nod and a knowing look before he shut the door. I knew he was filling everyone in on Sarah's situation. I felt ashamed for betraying Sarah's trust and my shame turned to anger, making my blood boil. She had trusted me. She told me about herself, her past. She believed that I wouldn't betray her trust and she let me find out things about her that she hadn't been able to tell anybody else. I felt like a real asshole. I buried my anger in my work and ignored the pity in the looks I got from the rest of the team when the door to the office finally opened.  
  
Letty was the only one that came over to me.  
  
"Hey" she spoke softly to me.  
  
"Wassup Let?" I answered, with my back to her.  
  
"You ok Leon?"  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"Don't feel bad Leon. We all had to know what she was bringing us here. It had to be done."  
  
"Maybe that's true, I still feel like shit." I told Letty.  
  
"That's because you caught some real deep feelings for her."  
  
I turned around to look at Letty, about half-pissed. Letty returned my evil stare with her calm one. Letty was always tough and smart too. She had a knack for saying hard truths that you might not want to hear, but she did it honestly, and wasn't a bitch about it. Letty stared back at me solemnly for a minute, looking for something in my eyes and then slowly began to smile at me. She touched my shoulder squeezing it and gave me a small, affectionate shake.  
  
"Hey, brother. Don't worry about. I think she's good for you." Letty winked at me and turned away to go back to work. I felt myself slowly relax as I watched her walk back over to Jesse who was already on the Nissan. I felt the tension slowly leaving my body and my frown dissolved. The team was pulling together and it looked like maybe Sarah was going to be an accepted part of our family. I smiled slightly for the first time since the day before. Maybe Letty was right. I just hoped I was good enough for Sarah. She deserved someone she could trust to be fair and honest with her and not hurt her. She deserved better than what she had lived through before. Right now, she deserved better then me.  
  
************************** 


	15. Chapter 15

TITLE: Running CHAPTER 15 of many chapters AUTHOR: Daaasl RATING: R for violence and sex DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Vincent, Mia, Brian, Jessie and Letty belong the film company. All the other characters are mine all mine, though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: You can find previous chapters at: http://www.realmofvindiesel.homestead.com Anyone else wanting to post my fanfic on their site, please check with me. FEEDBACK: Please. I like to know what you think. But be gentle with me.  
  
We got to the mall, and no matter how much I tried, I couldn't get Mia off my case.  
  
"So just tell me Sarah, because the way Vince made it sound..."  
  
"Yeah. Well, I'm sure Vince embellished the truth."  
  
Mia just laughed and shook her head. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Mia shrugged with a sweet smile. "It's a girl's right not to kiss and tell."  
  
"Thank you!" I said, in relief.  
  
As we talked about the shops we wanted to hit first and walked through the parking lot, I caught a glimpse of a brand-new, completely 'loaded' black Escalade. Mia was a few steps ahead of me, and hadn't noticed it. I slowed my pace to check it out. As I was walking past the spot where it was parked, I tried to glance inside. Unfortunately the mirror tint on the windows made it next to impossible to see if anyone was in it or not. It wasn't like I'd never seen a Escalade before. It was the only car Pops and his crew ever used to drive. I think it was my nostalgia for Pops, more than anything, that made me gravitate towards it. I slowly walked up, and was about 5 feet away from it when Mia grabbed my arm.  
  
"Hello? Earth to Sarah! Where are you going girl?" she asked.  
  
I looked at Mia, and back at the Escalade before I smiled.  
  
"Aw nothing. Just looking at that big black Caddy SUV. It's really a fine looking car" I said nonchalantly.  
  
With a last look and a shrug, I turned and said "C'mon Mia, I need a whole new wardrobe!" and with that I took her hand and we made a dash to the entrance. We went crazy. All of the old bruises on me had faded and healed. I was ready to have a great time wearing some great clothes. Letty was right. It was about time I started to enjoy what I had and show to advantage.  
  
Since the morning's soul-baring session with Leon, I felt a new sense of freedom, and was ready to show the world what I had been hiding all those years.  
  
Mia was so great. She helped me pick out a whole wardrobe of wonderful clothing -- like she knew how important it was to me to feel pretty, free, and alive. I got a few sun dresses, and mini skirts, hot pants, and Capri's, and every style of top imaginable. Many of them were low cut and tie-back, which left me showing more of my skin then I was used to, but Mia assured me I looked great. I trusted her and was happy to accept her judgment. I still bought myself a few oversized tee's to lounge around in. Some habits die hard.  
  
By the time we got out of the mall 3 hours later, I was loaded down with 8 overstuffed shopping bags full of new clothes, shoes, and accessories. Mia was struggling to help me with my load and still carry her 4 bags of clothes at the same time! We stumbled over ourselves a bit as we headed back to the car, laughing hysterically at the scene we were causing.  
  
"Mia, your gonna drop my shoes!"  
  
"Girl, please! I would NEVER drop these beautiful shoes!" she laughed at me.  
  
I tried to collect myself as I giggled, when I looked up and saw the same Escalade I had seen before, parked a few spots over from my car. I slowed my pace and stared, but decided against investigating the situation any further. For all I knew, the owner would flip out if he or she walked up and found me checking out the Escalade.  
  
Mia and I loaded all 12 of the shopping bags into my car and made our way out of the mall. It was close to lunchtime and I knew we were picking up food for the guys and Letty. As happy as I was that I would be seeing Leon again, I was nervous about any "knowing" looks I might get from the rest of the group. Mia picked up on my uneasiness right away.  
  
"Don't stress it Sarah." Mia assured me. "The team won't say anything to you. I'm sure Leon has ripped into V. for his stunt this morning, by now." she said with an evil grin.  
  
I laughed it off as we picked up a few pizzas and made our way to the garage. Still, I found I was still a little tense and had some very mixed emotions by the time we made it to the garage. Mia and I got out of the car with the pizzas and began walking up to the guys. A movement on the street, to my left, caught my attention. When I turned my head and looked back, I wasn't sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me. I could have sworn I saw the same Escalade turning the corner of the street. My heart stopped.  
  
"Sarah, come on." Mia called to me, snapping me back to reality.  
  
"Yeah, I'm coming." I replied, and walked faster to catch up.  
  
When we made it into the darkness of the garage, I couldn't see anyone at clearly at first.  
  
"Hey Mia where's everybod-" I began. Before I could finish my sentence the pizza box I held was out of my hands and Jesse and Vince were ripping wedges out of it. I burst out laughing at the scene. They acted as if they hadn't eaten in years! Without warning, the rest of the team appeared and began attacking the other pies.  
  
"You're welcome!" Mia exclaimed, only to hear muffled thank- yous from everyone. I walked a short way from the feeding frenzy, hiked myself up onto a clear spot on a workbench and watched them eat. Although I couldn't help smiling at the ravenous team, I also couldn't get the Escalade out of my head. I tried to stay rational and not get paranoid. I knew I hadn't told Pops where I was going. I had been pretty sure he didn't really want to know; but the coincidence was making me nervous. I sat on the bench, swinging my legs nervously and chewed on my finger -- something I always did when I got nervous. Dom walked over to me on the workbench and leaned back against it, to my right.  
  
"You want a slice Sarah?"  
  
"Huh? ..oh..no thanks" I muttered, still chewing on my finger.  
  
"Hey. You know, if you're nervous about this morning-"  
  
"No! I interrupted Dom. "I'm not, I mean, I'm sure Leon straightened it all out anyway, but - it really wasn't what Vince thought."  
  
"Then why are you eating your finger Sarah?" he asked gently, as he pulled my hand down, and looked me in the eye.  
  
"Hmm? Oh, just a bad habit." I smiled and tried to will him away. Letty came up and rescued me. At least I thought she was going to rescue me.  
  
"What the fuck are you doing?" she said sternly looking back and forth between me and Dom.  
  
"Letty don't start with this!" Dom spoke in a low rumble, pushing away from the bench and shaking his head with a frown. He looked into Letty's eyes intensely for what seemed like forever, until she finally shrugged her shoulders abruptly and looked down at her shoes. Dom watched Letty closely for another moment more; and then quietly walked over to his office, leaving us alone. After another minute, Letty looked up stared hard at me with a bitter and angry look on her face.  
  
"Letty wha-?"  
  
"Save it Sarah. I like you personally, but you need to stay the fuck away from Dom."  
  
Before I could tell her that I wasn't interested in Dom at all, Mia appeared and did it for me.  
  
Gently putting her hand on Letty's shoulder, Mia asked, "Letty. What is your problem girl?"  
  
"Mia, don't tell me you didn't see Dom-" Letty growled angrily as she turned to look at Mia.  
  
"Letty stop it." Mia said firmly. "Sarah's not interested in him, and Dom is always going to be friendly to people, especially women. God girl, you got to stop this shit. You will make yourself crazy! The two have been together so long that I thought you knew by now you always come first in Dom's heart and soul."  
  
Just then Brian walked inside from the back of the garage and stopped in confusion when he saw the three of us women deep in conversation. Everyone was silent and focused on our conversation. I felt my face burning with embarrassment and then I saw Leon walk over to us.  
  
"Letty, will you stop with the jealousy already? Dayum, woman. You have got to relax!" he said as he joined Mia, Letty and me.  
  
"So what's going on?" Brian asked the group aloud in curiosity. One look from Vince stopped any more questions Brian might have wanted to ask.  
  
Everyone watched Letty, waiting for her to say something. Finally she slowly turned her attention back to me. The glare in her eyes was gone, replaced by something that might have been something a little bit like hurt. Letty looked at me carefully.  
  
"Sorry Sarah." she said thoughtfully. "Old reflexes create problems, I guess." Letty turned and walked slowly into the back of the garage, toward the Nissan. I just looked at Leon who shook his head sadly.  
  
"Letty has always had a bit of a jealous streak as long as I've known her. Dom didn't make it any better when he and Letty had a major fight one night a year or so ago. Dom left in a rage and ended up in bed with Johnny Tran's sister later that evening. And Johnny Tran's sister made sure the world knew about it too."  
  
Leon raised one eyebrow in question and looked over at Mia who nodded quietly in agreement.  
  
"That's been a really hard thing for Letty to forgive. said Mia. "Even though Dom regrets what he did and has never done anything like it since, Letty is still working hard on the trust situation." Mia nodded towards the Nissan where Letty had returned to work and then she walked over to talk to her, leaving Leon and I to ourselves.  
  
Try not to pay Letty any mind." Leon said, kissing my forehead. I looked at him and smiled. Everything that had just happened, was forgotten. How could Letty think I wanted Dom? That was ridiculous. Sure Dom was a handsome and commanding guy, but to me Dom didn't compare to Leon with his emerald green eyes and tender ways towards me. The team relaxed and we all went back to finishing the pizzas that Mia and I had brought in. Dom came back out of the office after another 10 or 15 minutes and spoke up.  
  
"OK. Break is over guys. Let's get back on it." he rumbled.  
  
Dom was answered with good-natured groans, while Vince and Jesse got up slowly, to return to their respective jobs on the cars. As Mia walked back up towards the office, Brian snagged her hand and pulled her into his arms. Mia laughed and wriggled out of his grasp, still holding onto his hand and leading him over to Dom, where the three of them began to talk.  
  
Leon turned and lifted me down from the tool bench, calling out to Dom at the same time. "I'll be right there Dawg, I'm going to walk Sarah out to her car."  
  
Dom just nodded and turned back to continue the conversation he was having with Mia and Brian.  
  
When Leon and I got out to my car, his eyes went wide.  
  
"I see you and Mia were extra busy this morning!"  
  
"Yeah well, I really needed new clothes. Besides, I think the saggy jeans and baggy tee look is out this season." I smiled.  
  
Leon gave a half-smile but didn't say anything more. He looked at me and then down at the car. It felt like he was looking past me, or through me. He seemed to be thinking of something else. Somehow, something wasn't right.  
  
"Leon? What's wrong?" I tipped my head to catch his gaze. He looked up and shook off whatever was bothering him.  
  
"Nothing baby. So, what else are you gonna do today?"  
  
God, he called me baby again. My heart melted.  
  
"Well, I want to drop all this stuff off at the house. Then I will probably just vedge out until you guys get home. You won't be that long will you?"  
  
"Naw, Dom usually closes up shop at 3 on Saturday's." Leon said, as he moved closer to me. I felt my body respond to his closeness. I leaned back against my car and reached up to slowly pull Leon towards me by the front of his shirt. Leon's green eyes glowed as he smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist. He tipped his head down to look me in the face.  
  
"So, there's another race tonight, you want to go?"  
  
"Sure. We can do that."  
  
"Good. I'll see you back at the house" he said, and then he leaned in and kissed me softly.  
  
My arms wrapped around his neck and we lost ourselves in the warmth and melting of our kisses, until I heard Mia clear her throat. I reluctantly broke away from Leon's mouth and looked over his shoulder to see her smiling at us.  
  
"Sarah, can you drop me off at the store please?" Mia asked with a teasing smile.  
  
"Yeah. Sure Mia. I gave Leon a brief last kiss and said, I'll see you later Leon". He nodded and smiled as we untangled ourselves reluctantly. Leon's hands and mine stayed together until the distance was too great and both our arms fell to our sides. Then he gave me another beautiful smile and turned back to the garage.  
  
I got into my car and looked over at Mia with a sheepish grin.  
  
"Awww, you two are so cute." she teased.  
  
I laughed softly with happiness, in reply. I felt like I was on cloud nine. I had finally found a man who was everything I ever thought I wanted and I was accepted by his people, who liked me and brought me into their family too. It was like God had finally smiled on me. I was happier, safer and freer than I had been for years, all because I'd finally found the courage to make my escape from hell and had the blessed good fortune to meet Leon.  
  
Whether he knew it or not, Leon's patience, strength, and caring ways, helped me break out of my fears and defensiveness so I could appreciate life again. My heart filled with happiness and gratitude. Everything was so different now. I didn't have to live a life of lies and fear anymore. I really felt like a new lamb must feel, just getting on its feet after being born. The feelings were scary, thrilling, and new, all at once! It might still be a little bit too soon to be positive, but it sure felt like I was falling very deeply in love. 


	16. Leon's Decpetion

TITLE: Running CHAPTER 16 of many chapters AUTHOR: Daaasl RATING: R for violence and sex DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Vincent, Mia, Brian, Jessie and Letty belong the film company. All the other characters are mine all mine, though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: You can find previous chapters at: http://www.realmofvindiesel.homestead.com Anyone else wanting to post my fanfic on their site, please check with me. FEEDBACK: Please. I like to know what you think. But be gentle with me.  
  
After I dropped Mia off at Toretto's store, I went back to the house to unload all the bags from our shopping spree that morning. Mia had given me her keys so I could get in the house.  
  
It took me four trips to get everything inside and I was beginning to work up a healthy sweat. On my last trip out to my car, as I pulled out the last couple of bags, a movement got my attention and I turned my head. It was the Escalade again! First I froze, and then I panicked. I yanked the bags out of my car and ran back to the house, shutting and locking the door behind me. I ran over to the wall phone to call Leon and pulled up short. I realized in disgust that I didn't know the number at the garage. I looked around the kitchen, at the fridge and the counter near the phone, to see if I could find the number written down somewhere, but there was nothing.  
  
While I was trying desperately to think of where I might find a phone book, I went back into the living room, looking for anything that would help me. No phone books. No address books. As I started to leave the living room for the kitchen again, I passed one of the front windows and peeked out. I didn't see anything. Startled, that the Escalade was no longer where I had seen it last, I craned my neck to see the street better. I had been sure I wasn't imagining that I had seen the Escalade. I had a brief argument with myself about the stupidity of exposing myself to danger, but summoned up the courage to look outside again. I slowly opened the door and carefully stepped out onto the porch.  
  
I looked up and down the street. The Escalade was gone. After looking twice more and waiting for another couple of minutes to see if it would show up again, I let out a sigh of relief, and went back inside. I closed the door, locked it again and stood with my back against it as I took a few minutes to collect myself. I began to doubt my sanity and wondered if I was just being paranoid. Maybe it wasn't even really an Escalade that I thought I had seen. I shook my head, in confusion. I opened my eyes and looked at all the bags sprawled across the foyer. I picked as many up as I could and shakily began taking them upstairs.  
  
Dropping Mia's bags off in her room first, I went back down to get last of mine. When the last bag was in Leon's room, I fell onto the bed. I was exhausted. It had been a busy and stressful day and I was not used to California heat. I closed my eyes, and fell asleep.  
  
When I woke up it was 3:30 in the afternoon. I knew everyone would be home soon, so I padded the hall to the bathroom and took a shower to soothe and refresh myself. When I finished, I went back to Leon's room and rummaged through my bags for something new to wear. I chose a pair of black hot pants and a royal blue halter top. As I dressed, I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn't help but smile at the change I had just made from a timid girl in an oversized T and Levis, to a confident and stylish woman.  
  
"Looking good girl." I complimented myself as I put my hair up. I went over to Leon's closet, and began to look for a way to find some room to fit my clothes in. The closet was really packed with boxes, extra blankets, shoes, winter jackets and flannel shirts! I decided to move the shoes to one side first and find a way to stack the boxes on the floor tighter. As I began to move the shoes, I somehow disturbed the jackets, which in turn dislodged several boxes and a couple of Road and Track magazines which immediately fell from the top shelf onto my head.  
  
I ducked, covering my head, and waited for all the debris to finish falling. When things stopped sliding off the shelves and hangers, I looked down to see that the pile was made up of a couple of boxes, some magazines, several jackets, and a manila folder. Papers had slithered out of the folder and were mixed in with the jackets, boxes, magazines and shoes.  
  
I began picking up the papers to put them back into the folder when I saw something that made my heart stop. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I blinked in disbelief and then stared in horror at the page I was holding in my hand. My heart began to race and I couldn't catch my breath.  
  
I began to snatch up all the pieces of paper and flipped through all the sheets, becoming more upset and angry at each page that I saw. Here was my whole life! Every detail, that I had told no one but Leon, even things I haven't told him yet was printed on these pages in black and white -- in Leon's closet! My knees buckled and I dropped to the floor. My eyes welled with tears and I heard myself begin to wail in grief and fury. I wrapped my arms around my self tightly and began rocking back and forth, as I looked down at the papers spread out around me. Everything was there. I saw all the copies of my medical records, school records, Department of Motor Vehicle files, credit report, -- my entire life history. Through my tears I even saw a copy of my mother's death certificate. Tears blurred my vision and my wailing turned to deep racking sobs as I picked up the copy of the certificate and and pressed it over my heart as if I could stop it from breaking. My chest hurt so bad that I was sure I was dying from grief. I was sure I could feel the trust and love that I thought I had rediscovered, being ripped out of my soul.  
  
Leon had lied to me.  
  
He betrayed my trust and had listened to my story about my life, from my heart, when he knew everything about me already. I'd really believed that he was being patient and kind; waiting for me to open up to him about my life; and understanding that I couldn't tell him until I was ready. All along Leon had only pretended to care about me and my feelings. He could afford to be patient with me. He already knew everything! How could he be so cold? Why had he invaded my privacy and dragged out the records of my lifetime? I felt humiliated that he had fooled me and made me believe that he cared about who I was, about what I was feeling, and about what I was thinking!  
  
As my sobbing and gasping diminished, I angrily wiped the tears from my eyes and looked at the rest of the papers lying around me. I found papers on Anthony and his father too. Stunned by seeing a picture of Anthony, my fears rushed in and grabbed me by the throat. Before I could finish reading anything else, nausea overwhelmed me. I jumped up and ran to the bathroom, barely making it in time. I threw up lunch and when I finished, I sank to the floor, clutching the toilet and cried again. As the visions of all that I had discovered washed over me, I began to lose the rest of my control. My feelings of betrayal and humiliation were so huge that I began to hyperventilate with rage. I didn't hear the team when they came in because I couldn't stop my ragged sobbing.  
  
How could he do this? Why did he do this? As my grief completed its transformation to rage, I suddenly heard Leon's voice behind me.  
  
"Sarah! Jesus! What happened here? Are you ok?" He sounded so sincere, but I was revolted by his fake concern. I stopped my sobbing abruptly and rose to my feet shakily.  
  
"Get the FUCK away from me you bastard." I hissed through my teeth, and pushed past him.  
  
"What?!? What happened? What is going on? Why are you so freaked? Did somebody hurt you?" Leon followed me down the hall to his room, firing questions at me, his brow furrowed with a look of worry and concern.  
  
"Stay away from me Leon!" I screamed at him, slamming the bedroom door in his face. I turned and grabbed one of the shopping bags, and my metal case. I contemplated opening the case and using my .22on his lying ass; but the rational part of me realized that no matter how furious and hurt I was, I didn't want any police after me. I grabbed the manila folder and its papers from the closet floor and walked back to the door. When I yanked the door open, I found Leon still standing there. The look on his face was one of frustration and confusion.  
  
As I tried to push past him again, he grabbed my arm and stopped me.  
  
"Sarah! Talk to me." Leon demanded, his voice breaking with emotion.  
  
"Talk to you?" I shouted incredulously. "Talk to you Leon? What the fuck for? What the hell do you want me to tell you? You already know every goddamned thing there is to know about me! Why the hell should I ever talk to you again!?"  
  
Leon's face fell and his eyes widened in comprehension and guilt. I used all my strength and rage to rip my arm from his grasp and shoved him out of the way before I flew down the stairs and into the living room to find the rest of the team staring at me in shock. Mia stood up from the couch fast and crossed the room to where I was standing, trembling with emotions I could barely control.  
  
"God Sarah, what happened?" Mia asked in shock.  
  
I looked up at her, with tears flowing freely down my eyes, but before I could answer, Leon was down the stairs and standing beside me. He grabbed my arm again and turned me to face him.  
  
"Sarah please! What the fuck is going on, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Don't play stupid with me Leon!" I shouted and yanked my arm from his hand again. "Just how long have you had all the records and information on me? How long Leon?!" My voice was at its highest level.  
  
Leon didn't answer me, but looked past my shoulder at Brian, who had come up behind Mia. I watched Leon, who looked pleadingly at Brian. I snapped my head back towards Brian to shake his head, as if to say he didn't know how to help. I suddenly realized that the whole team knew everything about me and my life! My blood turned to ice and I felt total despair that made my voice came out dead and lifeless. I slowly returned my gaze to Leon.  
  
"How could you be such a bastard?" I asked, without expecting any answer. I turned my face away from Leon and found myself looking across the room into Letty's sad eyes. Jesse was chewing on his lower lip nervously. Everyone looked embarrassed.  
  
Leon had turned his attention back to me at the sound of my question. He turned me to face him again. His green eyes caught desperately at mine and he said "Sarah, wait. It wasn't like that. You don't know what you're talking about. We had to-" He spoke softly and calmly and tried to move closer to me. I ignored the perplexed stares from the rest of the team, and backed away from Leon slowly as he moved towards me.  
  
"Stop. Stay away from me." I felt my face changing as I forced another wave of tears back. I was losing the battle though because they were going to come again and stay a long time.  
  
"I trusted you." I whispered as I shook my head in disgust for my gullibility. My face scrunching up with disgust  
  
"What the hell is going on here?" Dom growled as he walked in the front door, acting like the usual authority figure. I was too angry to be intimidated by his bullshit. I snapped at him too.  
  
"Stay the FUCK out of this Dom" I said coldly. Dom's eyebrows went up in surprise and the room became deadly silent, as the team waited for Dom's reaction. Dom paused for a moment, evaluating the situation. Then he shrugged his shoulders, crossed his arms and tipped his head. He watched me -- but he didn't say another word.  
  
Leon touched my arm again to get my attention. "Sarah, baby, lets' talk, we can work this-", he began.  
  
It was too much for me. I heard myself yell in rage as I whirled and threw the folder and its contents at him, causing all the papers to fly everywhere.  
  
"Don't EVER come near me or talk to me ever AGAIN!" I screamed through my tears. Then I bolted out the door pushing Dom out of my way. I flew down the porch and into my car.  
  
Within a moment, Leon came racing out of the house, followed by Brian and Vince.  
  
"Sarah! Sarah! Come back!" I heard him yell as I pulled away from the curb.  
  
"I hate you!" I screamed, and peeled off down the street.  
  
Leon's POV **********  
  
When Sarah threw the folder at me, it hit me in the face. For a minute I was furious. Before I realized what it was that she threw at me. Sarah had seen right through me and what I did to her. I looked down and saw the papers from the file that Brian and Jesse had put together on her. My heart sank to the bottom of my boots. I squeezed my eyes shut in anger and clenched my teeth. Then I heard the front door slam behind Sarah and I looked up to see both Dom and Brian staring at me with worried looks.  
  
"Leon I'm sorry ma-" Dom started to say  
  
"Don't!" I shouted, before shoving past him; charging out the door and onto the porch.  
  
"Sarah! Sarah! Come back!" I yelled to her as I saw her jump into her car. I didn't notice Vince and Brian following me outside.  
  
"I hate you!" I heard her scream before she peeled away down the street. I ran back indoors and looked at everyone. No one said anything. I saw keys on the table and grabbed them  
  
"I need your car Jess." He just nodded. I ran back outside, and stopped short, only to feel Vince knock into me, I turned around and saw Him and Brian standing there, awaiting their instructions. My mind was racing, so many thoughts were going through my mind. My guilt for deceiving the one girl who ever meant anything to me was only clouded by my sorrow and pain of her walking out. I had to get her back.  
  
"Help me find her and get her home." I begged as I turned and ran out to Jesse's car. Vince was right behind me "Yo brother, I'll take East Side." he said, as he got into his ride.  
  
"All right V. I'm going to take the main roads back. Hey Brian!" I yelled back to the porch where he stood.  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"Take the coast route man. Keep your phone open, and if you find her-"  
  
"We'll get her back Brother." Vince hollered to me before punching the gas and ripping out of the driveway and up the street.  
  
I hoped Vince was right. Sarah really didn't know anything about Cali. If she ended up in a tough neighborhood, she could be in serious trouble. My stomach clenched with worry.  
  
I nodded to Brian in his car, as we both pulled out. I could see Mia in my rearview mirror, standing on the porch and yelling at Dom. Dom was watching Mia closely, his complete attention riveted on what she was saying. I didn't know what their conversation was, and at this point I didn't care. I thought that maybe Mia was filling Dom in on Sarah and I. I hoped that Dom would fill Mia in on why we had run the checks on Sarah's background.  
  
I sped down the main street where Sarah and I had driven the day before, my eyes looking left and right, while I prayed I would find Sarah before anything bad could happen to her. I had to tell her why I had to lie to her. If she only understood about my past, all of our pasts, she would understand and forgive. She had to. I had to find her. 


	17. Chapter 17

TITLE: Running CHAPTER 17 of many chapters AUTHOR: Daaasl RATING: R for language, violence and some sex DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Vincent, Mia, Brian, Jessie and Letty belong the film company. All the other characters are mine all mine, though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: You can find previous chapters at: http://www.realmofvindiesel.homestead.com Anyone else wanting to post my fanfic on their site, please check with me. FEEDBACK: Please. I like to know what you think. But be gentle with me.   
  
  
  
  
  
******** Mia's POV ********   
  
As Leon, Vince, and Brian ran out of the house, I bent down to pick up the papers that Sarah had thrown at Leon. I looked down at them and my mouth dropped open as I saw school records from grade school to college, Department of Motor Vehicles information, hospital records, credit report, a birth certificate copy, and someone's death certificate -- everything! These papers were records of everything Sarah had done in the last 10 years at least! I looked up at Dom, Letty and Jesse.   
  
"What is all of this?"   
  
"You know what it is Mia." Dom answered.   
  
"No. Dom. I don't. I know that you looked her up. I can understand that, but what is all of this other extra stuff from her childhood and all these hospital records? Jesse?"   
  
"Don't look at me!" Jesse exclaimed. "I only did her DMV and the credit check. Your boyfriend did the police check, hospital records and the rest. Jesse's face flushed with guilt and he looked down at the floor.   
  
I turned and ran out onto the front porch with Dom on my heels. I saw Brian and Leon just as their cars peeled away down the street, hot on Sarah's trail.   
  
I turned to Dom angrily. "How could you Dom? I thought you said she was ok! Why did you feel the need to dig so deep? Do you realize how close Leon and Sarah have become? How could you destroy something like that for him?" I stopped suddenly, breathless with my anger.   
  
Dom looked at me silently for a minute, and then sighed deeply. "Come back inside Mia, he said sadly, "and I'll tell you everything."   
  
  
  
******** Leon's POV *********   
  
I drove around for an hour, and still couldn't find her. The sun was starting to set, and I was getting more nervous. I called V. and Brian on my cellphone.   
  
"Any sign of her?"   
  
"Not yet brother."   
  
"I haven't seen her either." Brian replied. Both of their voices were solemn. I hung up and kept driving.   
  
**************  
  
Sarah's POV **************   
  
Oh God, where am I? I should have paid better attention to where I was headed, but the only thing on my mind was getting the hell away from Leon as quickly as possible. Leon. God, I thought he was different. Why had he snooped on me behind my back? I could not understand. What was so important that he had to dig around in my private life before I could tell him about me, myself? Was he just he scared of me endangering the team; was he just incredibly impatient to know more about me; or was he looking for away to have control over me? I was furious that I had been stupid enough to trust him. I thought he was real and kind and good. I hated it that I had been fooled by caring and concerned act. I wiped my tears fiercely, and stepped on the gas again. When I focused on the road again, I saw it. The Black Escalade was right behind me!   
  
  
  
******* Vince's POV *******   
  
I pulled out of the alley off of Pico and was making my way back around to circle the neighborhood again. I couldn't believe I was out there looking for this chick! Why did she run off like that anyway? I mean, why couldn't Sarah have just waited and let Leon explain things to her? She didn't have to run off like that. Sometimes chicks are so emotional!   
  
I thought about turning back, and giving up on the hunt, but I knew Leon was seriously digging Sarah. And it had been a long time since Leon was diggin' on any chick. So, because Leon was my bro, and only for that reason, I doubled back and kept looking for her. Just as I began to turn the corner on Broad and 63rd, I saw her red T-bird fly past me, followed closely by a big black SUV. I shifted into gear and took off after her. Then my cellphone buzzed.   
  
I grabbed it. "Yeah?" I shouted   
  
"V its Brian. Have you-?"   
  
"I found her man! Call Leon and tell him to get back here, she's headed north on Broad Street, driving like a maniac. I'm trying to catch up to her now."   
  
"Ok! We're on our way!" Brian replied. I dropped the cellphone, shifted again, and began to close in on the T-Bird. Just as I pulled up alongside the Bird, to get Sarah's attention and wave her over, she glanced over my way. Suddenly she yanked the steering wheel hard and the T-Bird jumped down a ramp and onto the freeway.   
  
"DAMNIT!"   
  
  
  
***** Sarah's POV ******   
  
As soon as I saw the Escalade, I shifted into high gear and floored it. Panic set in, and I went into survival mode. I had been chased by Anthony before and was able to outrun him; I wasn't about to let this stranger take me down.   
  
I floored the T-Bird, and began weaving in and out of traffic, trying to lose the SUV. Suddenly I saw a blue Maxima come up on my other side. Great! Two of them! I spotted an off ramp, yanked the wheel sharply and jumped onto the freeway.   
  
I punched the gas and shot into the merge lane. I was pushing 100 mph when I hit a sharp curve and tried to navigate the turn. But I was going too fast. I slammed on my brakes only to have them lock on me and fishtail the car out of control. In terror, I yanked the steering wheel again, trying to get myself back on track, but I lost control completely.   
  
As the car slid, it crashed through a guardrail on my right and flipped over down the embankment. In reflex, I tried to curl up and duck down in the front seat to protect myself when I lost control. As the car flipped, over I felt myself being thrown against the door frame and the edge of the steering wheel roughly, despite my old seatbelt. The heavy blows and a searing pain in my side made me cry out in agony before the world turned black.   
  
  
  
******** Vince's POV ******   
  
I'd just barely caught up to the T-Bird, weaving in and out of traffic on the freeway only to see Sarah go flying around a tight turn. Shit! I could see that Sarah wasn't going to be able to navigate it! The back end of her car fishtailed wildly and then the T-Bird slid out, flying through the guardrail and flipping over the bank. The Escalade that had been hard on her tail, slowed only briefly and then shot away, leaving her for dead.   
  
I wanted to run the bastard down and find out who the hell it was, but I needed to help Sarah. When I drew up to the turn where the guardrail was down, I pulled over to the side and slid to a stop. Leaping out of the car, I could see the T-Bird, had landed halfway upside down, on the embankment. Oh Jesus. Memories of my own accident came flooding back as I ran down the hill to her car.   
  
"Sarah!, Sarah, can you hear me?" I shouted.   
  
A high moan of pain came from inside the twisted metal in answer. Jesus! The top had been down on the car and I had feared the worst. I dropped down to my knees to get into the car, and saw Sarah's half-lifeless body wedged between the floor and the mangled seat. I smelled gas and heard cracking sounds of the dead engine's heat.   
  
"I'm gonna get you outta here girl! Hang on." I begged her. I looked to see what kind of injuries Sarah had, but it was hard to tell because she was covered in her own blood. Sarah's arms were all cut up, and her shirt was ripped and torn, leaving half of her bruised chest exposed. I grabbed her gently under her arms, and slowly began to pull her up from the floor.   
  
"Vince?" a strangled whisper escaped her lips.   
  
"Yeah girl. Come on now. Can you move?"   
  
"I.my leg.caught" she tried to talk, but blood in her mouth began to make her choke. I tightened my grip on her and tried to pull her out, but she moaned in protest.   
  
"No..silver..case..whole.life.silver" I didn't know what the hell she was talking about. A silver case? I looked into what I could see of the back seat, and saw a glint of light. Reaching back, I grabbed the silver case and threw it out of the car behind me.   
  
"Got it! Now, come on, damn it Sarah!" I insisted as I pulled her free from the car. I half-carried and half-dragged her 20 feet or so away from the wreck, just in case it decided to blow. A mixture of grass, mud, and blood covered Sarah and I couldn't tell where all her bleeding was coming from. I pulled her into my lap and slowly rocked her back and forth, trying to prevent my nightmare memories from clouding my vision.   
  
"Stay with me girl. You stay with me now." I told her as I rocked her and tried to see where her injuries were.   
  
"Let...me...die" her breathy voice whispered raggedly, as her eyes rolled back into her head. Instinctively I slapped her cheek to waken her, and was rewarded when her eyes opened and focused again.   
  
"Can't do that honey. Leon would kill me if I let you go." I said, wiping her matted hair away from her face, unintentionally smearing blood on her forehead. "You got to stay awake now girl. Help is coming for you." I insisted. Sarah's eyes locked on mine and tears began to slide down her cheeks. I couldn't be sure if it was from the pain of her injuries, or if it was from hearing Leon's name. A high, piercing wail broke from her, startling me. Once more her eyes rolled back and her eyelids closed; and this time, I couldn't get her to wake again.   
  
***** Brian's POV ****** I made it to Broad street but didn't couldn't see the T-Bird or Vince's car anywhere. I guess I'll never know why I decided to hit the on-ramp for the freeway. Maybe it was just instinct, but as I merged, I could see the back of Vince's car up ahead on the curve, a cloud of dust just settling where a guardrail was down. I pulled over behind the Maxima and jumped out. As I ran to look over the side, I heard a small, shrill cry. When I got to the smashed guardrail and looked over, my stomach lurched. Everything seemed to move like slow motion after that. As I scrambled down the bank, I could see Vince holding Sarah's blood-covered body in his arms, gently rocking her. Behind the two of them lay a battered silver case. Sarah's twisted and battered T-Bird lay just beyond them, almost completely upside down! Vince looked up at me with a blank stare as I dropped down beside them and ripped open my cellphone.   
  
I began shouting out information when I connected with 911. "I need an ambulance! Right now! Highway 14 South! We're just past the East L.A. on- ramp. Yeah! The Curve. Female. Approximately 25 years old. Massive bleeding. Contusions. Possible broken bones. Unconscious, but has a pulse. Ragged breathing. Make it fast!"   
  
I spit out the information as I checked her pulse and peeled back her eyelids briefly to see if they were dilated. V. seemed to be in shock too, and didn't speak as he sat, rocking Sarah. I tore off my flannel shirt to help cover Sarah's half-naked body and began ripping strips off my t-shirt to start working on the worst of her bleeding wounds. Vince finally looked up at me in recognition.   
  
"Call Leon." he said.   
  
  
  
***** Leon's POV *****   
  
All I could think was, "Jesus Christ! I'm at least a half an hour outside of L.A! Where the hell is she? My heart's been beating so hard I feel like it will leap out of my chest! I feel like I'm losing it. I can't seem to calm down. Damn it! Why did this have to happen? What the hell was I thinking, keeping the file like that? Why did I listen to DOM? Shit! Shit! Shit! This is doing me no good. I'm getting nowhere!" Just as I began my turn Jesse's car around to go back and join up with Brian and Vince, my cell went off again.   
  
"Better be good" I answered.   
  
There was a brief silence and just as I was about to speak again, I heard Brian's voice saying, "Leon man. There's been an accident."   
  
"What! What kind of accident?", I shouted.   
  
"We're on Highway 14, just past the East L.A. exit. Sarah tried to take that sharp curve. She was going to fast."   
  
"Where is she Brian?"   
  
"Right here Leon. Me and Vince got to her all right, but she doesn't look good."   
  
"Let me talk to her."   
  
"She can't talk. She's unconscious. Look Leon. Just get back here as soon as you can. The ambulance is --- They're here now. I've got to go." Brian said and cut the connection.   
  
"Wait Brian---" But, it was too late, He had already hung up. I started to call back, but decided against it. He'd saved Vince's life once. I knew he would do the best he could to save Sarah's. I had to let him help her. Making a U-turn in the middle of the street, I floored it and headed back towards Highway 14.   
  
I begged God to please, let Sarah be ok.   
  
  
  
**** Vince's POV ****   
  
The EMTs took Sarah from my arms and went to work on her immediately. I just sat there, watching. Last time it had been me, where Sarah was now. As I watched, I understood how Dom and Mia had felt. I felt really sick as I watched Brian talking to the EMTs. Everything seemed surreal. Even when I looked down at my clothes, stained in Sarah's blood, it felt like a dream. Brian returned to where I sat stunned, and gave me a shake.   
  
"Come on man. We've got to follow them to the hospital. Can you drive?"   
  
I nodded my head and rose to my feet shakily.   
  
"I'll call the team on the way." Brian said. Then he pointed to the silver case and asked, "What is that anyway?" I glanced over at it and looked back at Brian.   
  
"She made me get it out of her car. Said it is her whole life." I told him.   
  
Brian picked up the case and handed it to me. I threw it into the back seat of my car and followed Brian and the ambulance to the hospital.   
  
  
  
*** Dom's POV ****   
  
I heard Mia cry out, and then the sound of her sobbing after she answered the phone. Jesse, Letty and I all ran into the kitchen to find her on the floor, cradling the phone in her hands, and crying.   
  
"Mia! What's wrong?" I asked. Dropping the phone, Mia jumped to her feet and punched me in the chest, hard. She hit me a second time and yelled.   
  
"Damn it Dom! You did this! This is your fault!"   
  
Before she could land another punch, I grabbed her arms and held her in a tight hug while she sobbed. Letty grabbed the phone.   
  
"Hello? Letty's eyes grew large and she stared at me in shock. "Oh my God! Yeah. We're on our way right now." she told the caller, and hung up the phone.   
  
Mia sobbed into my chest. Letty looked at Mia with concern and then told me,   
  
"Sarah's been hurt. She's at the hospital. She crashed her car."   
  
Jesse clutched his stomach and dropped into a kitchen chair abruptly.   
  
"Oh shit man, not again." he said.   
  
I looked at Letty, and nodded towards Jesse. Letty nodded back and put her hand on Jesse's shoulder, consoling him.   
  
"Sarah never hurt any of us" Mia whispered in tears.   
  
"I know Mia." I said, as I gently released her.   
  
"We'll go to her. We'll take care of her." I said sternly and looked over at Jesse and Letty. I grabbed Mia's key's and we piled into the car and headed to the hospital. None of us spoke. Letty looked out the window silently and Mia and Jesse clung to each other's hands in the back seat. I caught Mia's eyes for a moment, but she looked away in anger and tears again.   
  
I wondered. Was Mia right? Had this been my fault? I had to know about who Sarah was. I had to protect the team. I never imagined it would backfire like this. Leon is never going to forgive me. Leon! Jesus! Where the hell is Leon? Does he know about this? I grabbed my cell, but Letty put her hand out to stop me.   
  
"Leon already knows, he's on his way." she said softly.   
  
I nodded, once again amazed that Letty could know what I was thinking so often. I put the cellphone away.   
  
When we arrived at the hospital, we found Vince, Leon and Brian in the ER waiting room. Leon paced like a lion. Vince sat stunned; covered in grass, dirt and drying blood. I heard Mia gasp and she ran to Brian and buried her face in his chest. I walked over to Leon.   
  
"Leon, man I'm-"   
  
"Save it" he said coldly, and walked away. I hung my head and swallowed my pride. Now was not the time, nor the place to start trying to work this out. I found some room on the couch next to V, and Letty and I sat down to wait with the others.   
  
  
  
**** Leon's POV ****   
  
My heart ached. My body felt numb. But my mind was boiling with guilt, anger and terrible fear. I felt so responsible. Hell I ::was:: responsible for all of this! The blood all over Vince was just another reminder of what I had done -- what the team had done. We thought we were protecting ourselves, but Sarah was the one who needed protection, and I had pushed her away. I might as well have killed her myself. Killed. Dead. God, please. She couldn't die. I felt my stomach wrench with guilt. I stared at the emergency room doors to the O.R. and waited in desperation. Letty quietly got up from the couch and walked over to me; her eyes full of the same guilt and shame that I was feeling. She put her hand on my arm and then pulled me into a hug. Neither of us had any words. I don't think either of us could have spoken if we tried.   
  
Jesse sat on the floor; his back to the wall, his knees pulled up towards his chest, and his head on his knees. It was an eternity before the Doctor finally came out to talk to us. His scrubs were covered with blood. I ran to him, but pulled up short, unable to ask.   
  
"Are you Ms. Ippolito's family?" the doctor asked me.   
  
"She has no real family, we're the closest she's got." Brian answered for us all. The doctor nodded his head and watched our faces as we gathered around him closely to hear what he would tell us.   
  
"Ms. Ippolito has lost a great deal of blood. She sustained a concussion, has a collapsed lung, broken ribs and some internal injuries. She also has a number of superficial cuts and a couple of serious bruises to her chest and legs. We've managed to get her stabilized, but it's still too early to tell how well she is going to do. Hopefully we will know more after she's out of surgery and has recovered consciousness. I hope to be able to tell you more in the next 24 hours."   
  
The doctor told us we could maintain contact with him through the nursing staff and then he headed back to his work. I stood in silence, watching those doors after they closed behind the doctor. I could hear the others returning to their places to continue our waiting. I turned slowly to see everyone's eyes on me, watching with concern. Dom's eyes were filled with pity and regret. He closed his eyes slowly, leaned forward and lowered his head into his hands. Mia clung to Brian, Vince and Jesse looked at each other solemnly and then back to me -- and Letty stood up from where she sat next to Dom, and began to walk over to me again.   
  
I turned around to face the doors again. I sank down, squatting with my head in my hands. I couldn't hold anything back anymore, and my tears began to stream down my face and sobs racked my body. I began to pray silently to God. I begged God to not let Sarah die. She didn't deserve to die like this. She deserved to be happy and have a good life. I told God how happy Sarah made me and how much I wanted to make her happy.   
  
My heart begged God -- please don't take Sarah away from me. 


	18. Chapter 18

TITLE: Running CHAPTER 18 of many chapters AUTHOR: Daaasl RATING: R for language, violence and some sex DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Vincent, Mia, Brian, Jessie and Letty belong the film company. All the other characters are mine all mine, though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: You can find previous chapters at: http://www.realmofvindiesel.homestead.com Anyone else wanting to post my fanfic on their site, please check with me. FEEDBACK: Please. I like to know what you think. But be gentle with me.  
  
Three hours passed by with no word on Sarah's condition. While we all waited in the visitor's lounge, my mind raced. I grasped at every memory of Sarah that I had. I remembered her quick smiles and how her cheeks would flush when one of us would tease her. I thought about the way Sarah was so smart and quick to catch on to Dom's business requirements and help him out. I sat with my head in my hands and remembered her cheerful laughing and her sweet voice singing when she, Mia, and Letty would work together in the kitchen or sit out on the porch braiding each other's hair. I thought of how amazing it was that she treated people with kindness and genuine interest when she met them, even after all the abuse she had suffered. I thought I could still smell the honeysuckle scent of her hair and feel the warmth and comfort of her body spooned into mine; my arm wrapped around her as we slept. I thought about her initial caution and fear and then how she warmed up to all of us and accepted us as her family -- trusting us! I talked to God a lot in my head too. I begged. I raged. I made promises. Again and again, I asked God to let Sarah live and prayed that my memories of her wouldn't be the only thing left for me.  
  
I looked up to see Mia sleeping with Brian's arm around her, directly across from me. Jesse was still curled up against the wall to my left and Letty had come over to sit next to me on my right, her arm tucked into the crook of my arm. Dom had taken Vince home so he could get cleaned up and change clothes. I had been glad to see Dominic leave. I'd felt such hatred towards him that I couldn't stand the sight of him. I was afraid Dom and I would both wind up in the ER if he stayed around me any longer.  
  
I looked around at the faces of my friends, sitting with me in the lounge, all worn and tired. In spite of the stress and fear, a flash of hope washed over me. We were hanging together during this crisis, instead of being scattered to the four winds, hiding out from the cops like the last time shit hit the fan. We were all here together, pulling for Sarah. I hoped that somehow she would know she wasn't alone. I took one last glance look at the faces of the team -- the only family that had ever loved me, before I closed my eyes and drifted into a shallow and troubled sleep.  
  
A hand shaking my knee awoke me and I opened my eyes to see Vince standing in front of me in clean clothes, with a couple of band-aids wrapped around his scraped knuckles. I looked around to see the rest of the team still sleeping, before I looked back at V.  
  
"Wassup Dawg?" I asked in a voice groggy with sleep.  
  
"No word yet?" Vince asked.  
  
I shook my head and dropped my eyes so V. couldn't see my pain. "Naw!" I replied in a low voice.  
  
"C'mere Brother, I want to show you something" V. said, signaling me with a quick nod of his head, in the direction he wanted me to follow. I gently removed Letty's arm from mine, stood up slowly, stretched painfully and then followed Vince into another part of the lounge area, further away from the rest of our sleeping team. V. had his back turned to me.  
  
"V? Wassup?" I asked.  
  
Vince turned to me and held out a silver case. "Before I pulled Sarah out of her car --" his voice broke. "She was desperate that I get this out of there too. I thought -- Well, you know. In case anything happened. . . " he stuttered. Vince's eyes reflected his own pain. "I thought you would want it." he spoke sofly. Vince turned the silver case over slowly a couple of times, looked up at me and then put it in my hands. I looked down at it resting there and saw the dents; the dried blood stains and dirt in the hinges and the catch. I couldn't meet V.'s eyes. I just nodded and shut my own briefly, while I silently and desperately wished the nightmare would be over.  
  
"I'm sorry Brother, I tried to clean it up the best I could." he said, resting a hand on my shoulder. I looked up into Vince's sympathetic face and nodded my head.  
  
"V. -- I . . ." I stopped. No matter how hard I tried, the words weren't coming.  
  
"Hey my brother. It's o.k. I'm just glad I was behind her and could get to her in time."  
  
"Me too V." Dominic's voice sounded from behind me. I whipped around to see Dom standing in the doorway. The fury that I thought had subsided, surged to the top again as I stared at him. Dom's eyes were full of sadness and guilt. Good I thought! I hope Dom feels the guilt burning him up inside, exactly the way I feel it burning me up. Because I listened to him, Sarah is fighting for her life right now.  
  
"Dawg, I can't see you." the words were expelled from my lips in warning as they forced their way out of my clenched jaw. I heard the team stirring as they woke at the sounds of voices and conflict.  
  
"Leon, you have to listen to me. I know how angry you are man. I can see it in your eyes. None of this was your fault Leon." Dom said, stepping into the lounge.  
  
"Dom!" Letty cautioned, as she unfolded herself from the couch where she had been sitting.  
  
I felt myself tense at the sound of his voice and I felt my anger swell even more. "Dom, man. I already told you. NOT NOW!" I shouted with my fists clenched as tight as my jaw. The rage began to shake my hard and I started to walk towards Dom slowly.  
  
"Leon, she could have been anything. A spy -- a narc---" Dom didn't get any further. I lost all control and flew the last 8 feet between me and Dom. I slammed him hard against the wall, my hands closing around his throat. Black rage seethed through every inch of me. I heard Vince yell "Stop bro!" and the sounds of Brian and Jesse jumping to their feet in confusion. Mia cried out "No! Don"t!" and Letty yelled out to Dom to watch out. But it was too late. Dominic looked over my shoulder at Vince and the team and shook his head slightly in my grip before returning his gaze to my eyes. He offered no resistance and waited calmly -- finally speaking to me quietly.  
  
"I could get you off of me if I wanted to Leon."  
  
"FUCK YOU!" I roared in his face.  
  
"Leon all I'm saying is-"  
  
"BULLSHIT! It's all bullshit Dom. That girl was never a threat to the team! You pushed too hard man. You pushed me too far, and you pushed her out. If she don't make it Dom, then you have pushed me out too!"  
  
I let Dom go with a final angry push at him against the wall. I turned and grabbed Sarah's case and left the lounge. I strode down the corridor and felt my anger and despair threatening to topple me over the edge.  
  
When I got outside the front doors and to the smokers pavilion, I lit up a cigarette. I took a few long drags and waited for my shaking rage to slow. Waiting to hear word about Sarah was killing me. I looked down at my watch. It was closing in on 11 p.m. Shit! I had completely forgotten. There was a race coming up tonight. Well fuck it! I wasn't going to be their watch dog tonight to protect them. My mind finally registered that Dominic had been wearing his racing gear when he had come back with Vince to the visitor's lounge. He was in his racing gear! Dom must have changed when he took Vince home. I looked back to see Dom talking to Letty. Brian and Mia stood together listening to the exchange between Dom and Letty, while Jesse rubbed at his sleepy eyes. Vince was looking anxiously in my direction, where I stood outside the doors.  
  
After a couple of minutes I saw Dom turn, and with Jesse following, walk down the hall towards me.  
  
When they came through the doors and over to where I stood, Dom spoke. "Ummmm. Leon. I umm, well, since there's no word yet -- ".  
  
"Go on Jesse, and take his punk ass with you." I said, pointing to Dom. Dom just looked at me hard and then shook his head. I glared back.  
  
"Leon, we will be back if nothing is going on but --" said Letty, who had just come through the doors behind Dom and Jesse.  
  
"I know." I interrupted her. "You gotta make an appearance to save face. Right Dom?"  
  
Dom just looked at me with sadness and pain in his dark eyes.  
  
"I love you Dawg. Believe me. You are my brother and I am sorry for your grief" he said slowly.  
  
"Fuck you" I yelled at him. Dom turned and began walking away. Letty and Jesse followed him.  
  
"Fuck you, God damn it!" I yelled at Dom again, but none of them turned around. When they disappeared around the corner, I ground out my cigarette, grabbed Sarah's case, and headed back down the hall to the lounge. Mia was still there, but I didn't see V. or Brian.  
  
"Hey woman." I said softly. Mia looked back at me with eyes puffy from the tears she had shed. We were all looking pretty rocky. She stretched her back a little, with her hands on her hips, and then asked me. "How are you holding up Leon?"  
  
"Not good Mia. The waiting is killing me." I told her.  
  
"I'm so sorry Leon. She looked down at the floor and sighed. "We have to let the doctor do their magic." she sympathized. "I just wish we could be in there with her to let her know she's not alone. She looked up into my face. "I don't want her to wake up alone and lost in here." Mia said sadly.  
  
"Where's V and Bri?" I asked, trying to distract us both from our grim thoughts.  
  
"They went to get us some coffee." she said with another deep sigh.  
  
"A'ight. Can I keep this with you" I said, pointing down to the silver suitcase.  
  
"Uh.Yeah.what is that?"  
  
"Sarah's stuff. Vince got it out of the car." I said as I tucked the case under Mia's chair before I put my arm around her shoulders and she buried her face in my chest. We sat down again and waited. We waited for word from someone; waited for V. and Brian to come back; and waited for the nightmare to end.  
  
***** Vince's POV *****  
  
When I heard Leon yelling at Dom outside, I knew I had to tell Brian about what I had seen during the car chase, before Leon came back into the lounge.  
  
"Yo Brian. Come and let's go get some coffee for everybody." I said. Brian, being the punk that he is, looked at Mia for silent permission. I rolled my eyes and waited until he got up and came with me. As soon as we got around the corner from the lounge, I stopped him.  
  
"Hey man. I saw something when we were trying to catch up to Sarah in her T- Bird." I told Brian.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Brian asked in confusion.  
  
"Man, when I caught up to Sarah, there was already somebody following her. Someone was right on her tail!"  
  
"What!" he shouted.  
  
"Shh. Jesus! Keep your damn voice down Brian! For an ex-cop, you sure aren't very cool." Brian just gave me a dirty look.  
  
Hey, what can I say? I take shots at Brian any chance I get, no matter what the circumstances.  
  
"Look." I said. "I'm telling you because we got to keep a look out. I already told Dom what I saw, but I don't think Leon should know yet. He's wrecked enough as it is."  
  
"Yeah, I agree." Brian replied. What kind of car was it?"  
  
"Black Cadillac Escalade, with mirror-tinted windows, out of state license plates, but I couldn't get close enough to see which state it was from. What color are Jersey plates?" I asked Brian.  
  
"Yellow -- or Blue I think." said Brian.  
  
"Nah, man. I don't know. They could have been yellow," I told Brian, "but they were definitely not blue."  
  
"I'd call this in V, but with no i.d. on the plates ---" Brian shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Yeah. Hell, I know. But at least we know this Escalade is something to watch out for. Dom is going to the races tonight to see if he can get any info on the Caddy. See if anyone saw it recently." I told him.  
  
Brian nodded, now realizing why Dom had left. We continued our walk to go get some coffee. When we came back Mia was curled up against Leon, sitting on one of the big couches. Poor Leon had a blank, dead stare on his face. He looked completely lost and for a minute I wondered if he even registered that we had come back in with coffee. Sarah had only been with us at the house for 2 weeks, but Leon had known her for a little more than 3. I would have thought that 3 weeks wasn't long enough to have any real connection to someone new and unknown like she was, but it seemed like something about Sarah really hooked Leon hard. I found myself surprised to see how serious Leon was. His eyes had been lit up with a lot of happiness lately, but now all I could see was pain and loss in his eyes.  
  
"Here, you two. Something to keep your blood circulating." I said, handing them the tall cups of coffee. They each nodded to Brian and me and took the cups. Leon raised his cup to his lips, looking up at me, and then past me. Suddenly he shot to his feet, spilling the coffee to the floor.  
  
I looked behind me to see the doctor coming toward us, down the corridor. Leon pushed past me and ran to meet him halfway. The rest of us turned and rushed to follow Leon.  
  
********* Leon's Pov *********  
  
"Well." said the surgeon, "I am glad to be bringing you all good news. When the worst of Ms. Ippolito's swelling subsided we were able to perform necessary surgery and she did fine."  
  
I heard myself, and the rest breathe deep sighs of relief. The tension began to leave my chest as I exhaled, and my battered and aching heart seemed to revive and felt lighter and more hopeful.  
  
The doctor continued. "Ms. Ippolito's surgery was extensive and she will need time to recover. Please, have some seats and I will explain." The Doctor led the way back to our seats in the lounge where Dom and I had nearly gotten into a fight an hour before. All of us sat down, waiting impatiently for the doctor to begin.  
  
The doctor sat down in a chair across from us, looked directly at me and said, "Your fiance' is a very strong young woman." I nodded and didn't bother to correct the doctor. He continued, "The medical records your brother gave us helped us out a lot." I looked over at V, confused. V. mouthed the word 'Dom', and I frowned, returning my attention to the doctor and his words.  
  
"The impact from the accident broke Ms. Ippolito's fourth, fifth and sixth ribs on her left side. Most of the worst damage was on that side of her body. Her lung and spleen were both punctured. We preformed a splenectomy and a thoracotomy to repair the damage."  
  
"Whoa doc. You lost me." I said in come confusion.  
  
Mia spoke up softly and said "They removed her spleen and repaired her lung, right Doctor?"  
  
"That's right" he nodded. "Actually the tear in her lung was pretty large and ragged, so we removed a portion of her lower left lung instead of trying to repair the extensive damages. Because of the severity of the tear, the only way we could know for sure it wouldn't rupture again was to remove the damaged portion."  
  
"So Sarah will only have one lung?" I said, trying to keep my composure.  
  
"No. She will have one and three quarters of healthy lungs." the doctor replied. "Many people are able to live with less. She also had a number of surface wounds that required attention. Luckily she broke no bones in her limbs, although she seems to have sprained her left wrist in the incident. She also sustained a nasty bruise to her upper chest that will be uncomfortable for awhile. We also had to take stitches in some places due to glass cuts; mostly on her left arm and leg." he said getting up. "I think you will all be glad to know that the swelling in her brain has gone down completely and that her concussion no longer seems to be serious. She hasn't regained consciousness yet, but we think with some more rest she should wake up any time. It's all depending on her."  
  
"Can I see her now?" I asked with desperation in my voice.  
  
"Not yet. I'm sorry. She is in the recovery room right now, being monitored. As soon as the anesthesiologist o.k.s it, we'll move her to ICU where we can monitor her recovery closely. I will be back for you when she is moved and you will be able to see her briefly. I must warn you, that her injuries will look very bad for a few more days." The Doctor turned back to the doors saying "You can reach me by contacting the nurses station on this floor." Then, as if remembering something he turned back once more and beckoned to me.  
  
"Can I talk to you?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah sure." I said following the doctor into the hallway.  
  
The doctor turned to face me, and said, "I am sorry to have to ask you this question, but it is hospital procedure. I am mandated by law to inquire in cases like this. How long have you and your fiancée been together?  
  
Startled, I replied honestly. "Not very long. Why do you ask?"  
  
Instead of answering, the doctor asked another question. "Has your fiancée ever sustained other serious bodily injury in any other accidents?" he asked looking at me closely.  
  
Confused, I replied. "Not to my knowledge, no."  
  
The doctor then closed his eyes and sighed. "Have you ever struck your fiancée or physically abused her in any way?  
  
In shock, I blurted, "What? Christ no! I could never lay a hand on Sarah in anger!"  
  
The doctor searched my eyes a moment longer. Then reaching out his hand to touch my arm he said, "All right. Please, calm down son. As I told you, I am required by law to ask these questions. The medical records your brother gave us did seem to indicate that most of her old injuries were sustained while she was living on the east coast. Because of your obvious concern, I suspected that you weren't the abuser, but the X-rays and surgery showed us that this young woman has really been through a lot of previous physical trauma. I needed to assure myself that she wasn't going to be subjected to that kind of treatment after she left here." said the doctor.  
  
Helplessly, I nodded in agreement, unable to comprehend completely what the doctor was saying.  
  
"I am terribly sorry to have to tell you, because of the pain it may cause you, but we also discovered that your fiancé was 5 weeks pregnant at the time of her accident." Stunned, my eyes widened in disbelief and shock.  
  
Observing my reaction, the doctor continued. "The trauma she suffered from the accident, combined with the emergency surgery caused her to lose the baby. I'm very sorry about the loss of your child son." Through my confusion and shock, I felt the comfort of the doctor's hand on my arm. It was the first time anyone besides the team had been so kind to me. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it briefly and thanked him for his kindness towards Sarah and me, before I turned and walked back into the lounge.  
  
The faces of the team looked up at me in question, but I had no answers for them. I held up my hand palm outward, indicating that I didn't want anyone to follow me and then I turned around and headed outside. I walked down the hall, past the nurses station, out through the smoking area in front of the hospital, and I kept on walking. I remember walking down streets in a daze for what seemed like a long time, until I found myself standing on a street sidewalk under a highway underpass. That was when I broke.  
  
My mouth opened and a bellow of pain and rage escaped me at the top of my lungs. The sounds consisted of wordless howls and shouted swearing. I could no longer hold back all the fear and fury about coming so close to losing Sarah. I raged that she had been repeatedly hurt and abused in her past and that my betrayal had hurt her even more. Yowling with grief, I thought of the baby that she had lost and my blind ignorance about what life had been like for Sarah and what she might have experienced before I found her and she slipped into my heart.  
  
I saw a concrete block on the ground that had probably fallen from a construction truck. With another roar, I picked it up and heaved it at the concrete embankment with all my strength. I saw it explode into pieces, scattering everywhere. My eyes searched for anything else I could throw. In my fit I threw rocks, dirt clods, and beer bottles that I found littering the ground. My fury knew no bounds as I continued to alternate between yelling and shouting my anger and pain. I saw the corner stop sign on my left, rushed over to it. I attacked it, pushing and pulling furiously until I was able to rip it free from the ground. With my hands bloody with splinters and cuts, I turned and heaved the whole sign at the embankment, narrowly missing Vince's head as I released it from my grip.  
  
The presence of another human being nearby stopped me cold.  
  
"Leon! Come on man. Don't do this to yourself." Vince said, walking slowly towards me with his arms down to his sides, palms up.  
  
I recognized Vince and as suddenly as my towering rage had arrived, it left, and I sagged in exhaustion. My frenzied outburst had left my throat and voice raw. "Jesus Vince!" I rasped. "I can't deal with this emotional shit! I feel like it is fucking killing me. The last time I felt this bad was when I almost lost you, Jesse and Letty in the same day! And I'd known all of you since I was fourteen years old man! I've only known Sarah for 3 and a half weeks! What the fuck is going on that I've let this girl get to me like this?" I've barely even know anything about her! I must be losing my God-damned mind!" I groaned.  
  
Vince looked at me with pity in his eyes and said "Love has no timetable my brother."  
  
I looked at Vince in shock. "What did you say?" I asked him in disbelief.  
  
"I'm telling you true brother. You love her man." Vince moved closer to me and said, "So stop acting like an asshole, and let's go back to the hospital. You'll be able to see Sarah as soon as they get her into ICU."  
  
"She doesn't want to see me." I hung my head in grief.  
  
"Maybe you're right." V. said. "But then maybe one of us can explain everything to her and get her to understand."  
  
"She's been through so much hell already Dawg."  
  
"Ain't nobody gonna yell at the girl bro. Shit!! She just had major surgery. We aren't stupid, but she needs to give us a chance and she needs to listen to the truth." he said.  
  
"We should have told her a long time ago." I growled.  
  
"Maybe so." Vince said calmly. But we can't do nothing to change what's past now, can we." he said flatly.  
  
I shook my head in disgust, knowing what he said was true.  
  
"Right. So get your crazy ass together, and come on back to the hospital with me now." he ordered. I glared at him, but Vince held my stare steadily and waited patiently. After a minute or two I realized I couldn't stare him down. I finally gave in and let out a rueful laugh. "You are a very intimidating dude, Dawg!" I joked with him.  
  
Vince grabbed me, gave me a rough hug and released me.  
  
"Yeah. Well, sometimes this 'ol' coyote' has more sense than you realize." Vince said, with a toothy grin. "You just be remembering that, brother."  
  
He slapped me on the back in encouragement and we turned and began our walk back to the hospital. 


	19. chapter 19

TITLE: Running CHAPTER 19 of many chapters AUTHOR: Daaasl RATING: R for language, violence and some sex DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Vincent, Mia, Brian, Jessie and Letty belong the film company. All the other characters are mine all mine, though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: You can find previous chapters at: http://www.realmofvindiesel.homestead.com Anyone else wanting to post my fanfic on their site, please check with me. FEEDBACK: Please. I like to know what you think. But be gentle with me.  
  
Chapter 19  
  
SARAH  
  
Before my eyes had even opened, I felt the pain . It ran straight through my chest and shot down the whole left side of my body as a tube lodged in my throat forced me to take strong, deep breaths, making me feel like my insides were being stretched apart.  
  
I tried to slow down the breathing on my own, but a tortuous, throbbing pain uncurled in me as I tried to defy the machines I was hooked up to. Fresh, hot tears cascaded from the corners of my eyes and wet the top of my ears. I wasn't crying though -- was I? Slowly, I opened my eyes. My vision blurred at the seething pain that rolled through my body and I closed my eyes again.  
  
Why was I so weak? I opened my eyes again, determined to know where I was, and saw a pristine, white drop-ceiling, that every hospital in America uses. I used what felt like all of my strength to slide my eyes sideways and look over at all the monitors near my bed. A bank of machines displayed contrasting red and green lights dancing around on multiple screens. Different wires and tubes dangled from the machines, running up to the bed and attaching themselves to me everywhere. I heard the air pressure pumps forcing the air in and out of my lungs combined with the incessant, slow beeping of different tones from the machines. The beeping was actually soothing. It reminded me that no matter how horrible I was feeling, I was still alive! I tried to gaze down at my arm, and vaguely saw that it was covered in bandages, with an IV sticking out of the crook of my elbow. I tried to lift my head, but the pain.oh God the pain! Every breath that was forced into me felt like it could be my last. I tried desperately to hang on to consciousness, battling to work through the pain and rise above it. But it was too much -- just too much this time. I closed my eyes again and tried to shut out the messages of pain that my body was sending me. I tried not to think about everything that might be broken or wrong with me and focus on something else but the seething pain was too much for me to focus on anything else. I couldn't even clearly identify the parts of my body that were injured, the pain seemed to come form everywhere. My eyes danced back and forth as I tried to recall the last thing that had happened to me before I had lost consciousness and then re-awoke in this misery. Nothing. Nothing. I couldn't force my poor battered mind to bring my memories to me. I floated in a red haze of pain and despair.  
  
I felt like I was losing my mind. I had no control, and my mind wasn't able to concentrate on anything except the pain. I felt myself become dizzy with it. Then I heard soft footsteps coming into the room. I had no strength left to raise my eyelids again, but I heard the footsteps stop at the bank of machines briefly and then step quickly to my side. After a brief moment, I began to feel a sweet, cool relief filtering through my world of pain as the dizziness became a whirlwind of motion behind my eyes, and I succumbed to the darkness and heavy sleep that embraced me again.  
  
Much later, pain returned with consciousness again, but there was a soft, cotton blanket of pain killer of some sort between me and the red haze, so I was able to open my eyes slowly to take stock of my situation. I felt completely out of it, but grateful that I was able to function somewhat, thanks to the pain being pushed into the background. I wondered what in hell they had given me, and decided that it must be something powerful, cause I still couldn't quite focus my eyes yet, and my head was still spinning. I tried once again to turn my head just a little, but the slightest twitch caused the stabbing pains throughout my chest and side to freeze me into stillness. A fresh rain of tears was the reward for my stubborn desire to move.  
  
Just as I was about to give up on myself again, I heard footsteps and slowly focused my eyes on someone dressed in whites, walking over towards my bed. Another human! Thank God! The figure came close to the bed, carrying a tray of what looked like medications. It was a pleasant-looking black man, wearing glasses. I tried to focus on his features, but everything was still semi-blurry. He set the supplies down on a nearby table and glanced over the different tubes, and wires leading from my bed to the bank of monitors. All I could do was stare at him through the tape and bandages that covered my face and mouth. I thought I might try to get his attention by moving, but the thought of the resulting pain stopped me. Instead I closely followed him with my eyes, watching him check everything. I willed him to look at me. Finally his attention reached my face and he saw my open eyes.  
  
"Hey there! You're awake! I knew you would come out of it soon." he said, as I watched him check my IV and drip bag, along with the monitors hooked up to me in different spots. I tried to speak, but only caused myself to gag because of the tubes down my throat.  
  
"Whoa there slugger! Don't talk. You'll only choke on the tubes. Blink once if you understand me."  
  
I slowly blinked once.  
  
The man's dark face creased in a kindly smile, showing evenly white teeth. Then he picked up the controls to my bed. He leaned closer to me and pointed at his name tag.  
  
"My name is Tom and I'm a nurse here. I know that's a little unusual, but there are more of us every day, so I hope you are o.k. with that. Shall I raise the head of your bed some so you can look around a little?" he asked.  
  
I blinked once in agreement and he pressed the controls, slowly raising the head of the bed a few inches so that I could more easily survey my room without having to shift my head so much, careful not to cause any more pain to myself.  
  
"It is nice to see you awake. I bet you have a bunch of questions, don't you?" he said to me.  
  
Again I blinked once, and tried to return his smile.  
  
"Good! I'll let our head nurse and the doctor know you are up. There's quite a few of your friends waiting around here who are worried about you."  
  
My brow furrowed in confusion.  
  
"There is quite a bunch of them. Your fiancé has been worried sick." he said as he turned, leaving the room.  
  
I stared in dismay at the Tom's retreating back. Then, in the next moment, memories began to return, slamming my heart into overdrive. "Oh my God. Did he say fiancé?" I thought. How the hell did Anthony find me? My mind raced back to remember. Was it Anthony in the Escalade, trying to run me off the highway? Oh dear God! The highway. The black Escalade following me. That curve! Random memories of the accident came flooding scattershot into my mind. My body involuntarily trembled with fear, sparking waves of pain again. I felt panic building and tears began to leak from my eyes again. I felt helpless, lost and afraid.  
  
"Hey, now. No crying after such a successful surgery." I heard a man's voice saying gently as someone new entered my room. I opened my eyes again to see a doctor, crossing the room to my bedside. I am safe here. I am in a hospital and they will help me. I forced myself to think as I watched the doctor give me a quick check-up.  
  
"My name is Dr. Solomon. I'm your attending physician." he said, squeezing my hand gently. Taking a tissue from a box beside my bed, the doctor dabbed gently at my cheeks and smiled. He was a tall man who looked like he could be about 60 or so. His smile was kind and he said, "I've taken a special interest in your situation. I have been waiting for you to regain consciousness so I can see what kind of progress you are making. Eventually I also want for us to discuss your injuries and the surgery so I can make sure you are ok, but that can wait until tomorrow. You have been doing well in recovery so I have been hanging around a little bit longer today because I had a good feeling that this would be the one where you would rejoin us!" He smiled again and then his face took on a more serious look.  
  
"I have some questions for you. They will be pretty simple -- all yes, or no-type, questions -- ok? You can just blink once for yes, two for no." He raised his eyebrows in question.  
  
I blinked once.  
  
"Do you know your name?"  
  
One blink.  
  
"Do you know what year it is?"  
  
One blink.  
  
"Do you know you were in a car accident?"  
  
One blink.  
  
"Good! I am pleased that the basics are working!" he said approvingly. "Your fiancé, Leon, has been camped out in our waiting area a long time, anxious to see you. Shall I send him in now?"  
  
Leon? My fiancé? Thank God it isn't Anthony! But why does the doctor think Leon is my I fiancé? Why would Leon tell him that? Why was he lying? Lying. Scattered images of my clouded mind flashed in front of me. The closet in Leon's room. The file, all the papers.I don't want to see Leon either!  
  
"Did you hear me Sarah? Would you like to see Leon?"  
  
Two firm blinks. A brief pause -- and two blinks again. No!  
  
"Are you sure?" asked the doctor, hesitating with a confused look on his face. "He's been pretty upset and wants to know you're all right." Are you positive you don't want to see him right now?"  
  
One blink.  
  
"O.K. You're the best judge of your strength right now . Maybe you'll change your mind after you have had a little bit more rest." He stopped for a moment and looked at me before continuing "What about the man who saved you? He asked if he could see you for a minute too. He's the one who pulled you out of your car to safety. He's anxious to know how you are recovering.  
  
I thought about it for a moment. One blink.  
  
"Good!" said the doctor. "I'll go get him. After you have had a couple of minutes to talk, I'll have one of the nurses come in to adjust your medications for you. I want you to get plenty of rest and to recover completely. These injuries are serious and you need time to heal." The doctor gave me another smile and a pat on my hand in assurance. "I'll be back to check on you again this evening." he said to me, and then he turned and left my room.  
  
The man who had saved me? I tried so hard to remember details of the accident, but my mind was still cloudy, and the pain was distracting, even with the cottony blanket of drugs. I had just barely been able to concentrate on the doctor's words to me.  
  
"Hey beautiful." I heard a familiar raspy voice, come form the doorway. I waited until the steps I heard came close so I could see the voice's owner in my line of sight. My vision continued to be a bit blurred so I squinted slightly and finally focused on Vince standing beside my bed. Vince! It was Vince who pulled me out! Vince was here now to see me. I tried to smile the best I could through the tape and tubes and raised the fingers of my hand slowly in greeting. Vince took my hand and squeezed it softly, while looking me over and shaking his head.  
  
"Well, you sure look like shit woman." he said with an evil grin. I smiled again, happy to hear him teasing me.  
  
"Man, we are all so glad you made it girl. You had us scared bad there for a while." he said as he reached up and stroked my head. It felt so good to have Vince here with me  
  
"I know you can't talk yet, but your doctor said the tube should be out by tomorrow, or the following day" He said lightly tapping on the tube down my throat. "Depending on how good you do. I have a feeling you'll be getting it out sooner than you think." he said, with a wink. I lightly squeezed his hand back. God, I owed Vince my life! A tear slid down my cheek.  
  
"Now don't you go getting all mushy on me woman." he grinned, while brushing away my tear. "Leon would have a fit, if he seen us getting so close. The man is obsessed with you."  
  
I squinted my eyes in anger and hatred at the sound of Leon's name.  
  
"Aww, Sarah honey. I can't get into the details now, but I swear to you -- Leon had his reasons. Just let him see you girl. He's been going insane these past few days, waiting for you to wake up. We've all been scared and worried, but Leon's been a fucking wreck! Please just let him come in to see you, for one minute..for me?" Vince begged.  
  
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly for a long moment, and tried to think. Then I opened them slowly and carefully nodded my head yes. For Vince, I would do anything, even see the one person I loathed  
  
"All right!" Vince, grinned with relief. He leaned forward, kissed my forehead quickly and left me to go get Leon. I carefully and slowly turned my face towards the window on the other side of my bed and saw that it was turning dark outside. I had no idea what time it was exactly. I wondered how long I had been there. Vince had said the past few days. God, how long have I been here? I owed Vince everything. He pulled me out of that wreck. The wreck! Oh God, that wreck was my car! My baby! Miss T. My poor beautiful girl must already be at the junkyard by now, getting stripped for parts. My heart sank. I would miss that car so much. We had so many good times together. She had gotten me out of more then a few sticky situations. She was such a part of my identity. Everyone back home knew my ride. That bright cherry-red fireball racing down the street was part of me. She was more of a home to me than Antho---  
  
"Sarah?" I heard a Leon's low voice whisper from the doorway, breaking my train of thought. Slowly I turned my head, to see Leon standing quietly; waiting. I stared at him, trying to see his face clearly. There were so many things -- so many emotions I was feeling. The medication made everything slightly unreal and I felt like I was dreaming. Leon slowly walked into the room with his head down, over to my side. He looked tired. He looked thinner and as if he hadn't shaved in days. I could see exhaustion in the lines of his face. His eyes searched mine, and in spite of the tears welling up in my eyes again, I refused to break my gaze. I had to look into his eyes to see whether or not there was anything for me to hold onto with him. I had to know whether or not the past 3 weeks were a waste. I stared into his eyes, searching for an answer. I watched Leon sit down in the chair next to my bed. He turned his head away from me briefly to look at all the monitors, staring at each one in turn; trying to determine what they all meant. Frowning with frustration, he returned his attention to me again and raised his hand to my face. As I continued to search Leon's eyes, I felt his fingers gently and hesitantly tracing my brow and cheekbone, stopping only briefly when he touched the tape covering my temple, nose and mouth. Looking into my eyes, Leon lifted my hand and turned it over gently. He closed his eyes and kissed my palm for a long moment. Then he moved my hand to cup his cheek. When he looked into my eyes again, I could see that they were filling with tears too.  
  
"Oh. baby." Leon sighed, his voice breaking. He released my hand and leaned forward to cradle my head carefully as he lay his cheek alongside mine; his scratchy chin in the crook of my neck and shoulder and his forehead on my pillows. At first I wanted to yank my head away from him. The anger and hurt was still in my heart. But when I felt his skin on mine, all rational thought left me, and I pressed my face against his the best I could. For a moment we were both silent, and then I heard a muffled moan escape him. I felt Leon's tears against my cheek as his shoulders shook. I used all the strength I could find left to raise my right hand to touch the back of his head and neck, winding my fingers into his thick hair. I felt his heat on my fingertips, and closed my eyes to take in his scent. We held onto each other tightly. It was in that moment that I knew I loved him. No matter haw hard I tried to betray the feelings in my heart and stay focused on the anger, I knew deep down he was sincere. I just prayed I wasn't wrong.  
  
Finally, with a sigh, Leon slowly raised his head to look into my face. "I swear to GOD, I will never hurt you again. I will never lie to you again. I will never betray you again Sarah. I am so sorry for what happened. I was wrong." His voice broke with emotion and his hand shook as he gently caressed my face again. I closed my eyes slowly in acceptance. I began to let my heart forgive. I knew Leon still had a lot of explaining to do to me. I knew that I needed the team to tell me why they did what they did too. But for right now, I needed Leon's love more than I had ever known before. If I was going to make it through, I would need all of them on my side. Leon took my hand and laid his head next to mine again, holding me awkwardly, yet as delicately as possible. He gently kissed our tears from my cheek.  
  
A woman's voice said gently, "I'm sorry sir, but you're going to have to leave now. The patient needs her rest."  
  
Leon reluctantly pulled away from me and we both saw that a pleasant- looking nurse had come into the room. He nodded and began to rise from the chair, but I wouldn't let go of his hand. I wanted to scream, NO!! Don't leave me! Stay here with me. Please keep talking to me. Tell jokes. Dance. Do anything you like, but don't go! I need you! My frightened eyes, begged Leon to stay. I felt panic set in. I didn't want him to go. I needed his protection, tenderness and caring touch.  
  
"If there is a way, I'll be the first person you see in the morning when you wake up. I will be here tomorrow morning, I swear." Leon said to me, squeezing my hand. "I will be here before you wake." he said reassuringly. Leon kissed my forehead and my palm again once more and left me, walking backwards slowly to the door and raising his hand in farewell as he went. I watched the nurse close the door behind him.  
  
Suddenly a small face popped into the little window of the door! It was Mia, peeking in to see me! I saw her eyes taking me in and her hand covering her mouth at the sight of all the tubes and bandages covering me. Mia's sweet face crumpled in tears and I tried to smile for her, hoping she could see me and tell that I was going to be o.k. Her face disappeared from the window frame and the nurse came over to my bed.  
  
"The rest of your friends and family will be allowed to see you tomorrow, but the doctor left orders that we are to keep you resting and comfortable right now." she said kindly. Then she turned to one of the machines and made some sort of adjustments. When she finished, she returned to my side and carefully readjusted my bedding and checked me over. I vaguely felt her take my hand and give it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. Then in the next moment soft darkness crept over me. I was pulled deeply down and lost to sleep once more.  
  
************************************************************************ LEON  
  
It had been 5 days since Sarah's surgery. We all took shifts in the hospital, waiting for when Sarah would wake up. Actually everyone else took shifts. I couldn't make myself leave. Vince brought me some clothes each day, and I would wash up in the bathroom and shave once in awhile. But I refused to leave the hospital until she woke up. I spent the hours going over how I should have done everything different and kicking myself for being such a fool.  
  
When Vince came out and said Sarah would let me see her, I ran all the way to her room. At her doorway, I came to a dead stop though. As much as I wanted to know Sarah was o.k., I was afraid to see the hatred in her eyes for what I had done to her. I swallowed hard and went inside.  
  
Poor Sarah had a damned tube down her throat and it was taped over her nose, mouth and chin to hold it in place. She had a bandage on her temple, and her arm had IV tubes coming out of it. Her pretty hair was messed up by more bandaging, and her beautiful eyes had deep circles under them. It was like a blow to my gut to see her that way; hurt like that.  
  
I walked over quietly and sat in a chair by her bed. There was a wall of monitors and machines next to it with wires and tubes everywhere with some kind of beeping in the background going on. When I turned back to Sarah, I saw her eyes stayed on me, never leaving me. I searched them for the hatred and loathing that I feared, but I only saw her watching and waiting. She was looking for something and I looked back hoping she could see how much she meant to me.  
  
I reached out and traced her sweet face with my fingers, cherishing her. I had missed her so bad! I reached for her hand and kissed the palm of it, breathing in the scent of her skin and feeling the warmth of her hand on my mouth. I moved her hand to my cheek and realized that I ached so bad that I couldn't stop the tears from coming to my eyes. With a painful sigh, I leaned in as close as I could to Sarah and laid my cheek alongside hers and gently held her head with my other hand. I didn't have any words. Just the shame and regret of what I did to her. I began to cry and my feelings shook me. Then I felt a blessing. Sarah ran her fingers of her hand into my hair and tenderly held my head. We stayed that way for a long while, holding each other.  
  
When I finally raised my head to look at Sarah, I saw her looking back at me in question. I realized that Vince knew what he was talking about and that I really loved this woman for everything she was, good or bad. I swore to Sarah that I would never lie to her, betray her or hurt her again. I told her how sorry I was and that I had been wrong to do what I did. She looked at me a long moment and I watched as she closed her eyes slowly and her face relaxed in peacefulness and acceptance.  
  
Her expression moved me deeply and I thanked God that Sarah was alive and recovering. I knew I would do everything I could to always keep her in my life. I took Sarah's hand once more and leaned over again to carefully kiss our tears from her cheek.  
  
Behind us, I heard a woman's voice say gently, "I'm sorry sir, but you're going to have to leave now. The patient needs her rest."  
  
I hated to leave, but I knew that the nurse was right. Although I could see the fear and panic in Sarah's eyes and I thought seriously about begging the nurse to let me stay, I knew that it wouldn't be right. Instead I promised Sarah on my life that I would be the first person she saw when she woke up the next day.  
  
It tore me up to leave her, so I took my time and I reluctantly backed out of her room, trying to sound more brave and confident about the situation than I actually was. It was all I could do to get out of the room before I tried to find some way to chain myself to her bed to be near her and know she was safe!  
  
As I closed the door, I discovered that Mia had managed to sneak into the wing, hoping to see Sarah. When the door closed, she quickly stepped up on tip-toes to look into Sarah's room. I saw her hand fly up to her mouth in dismay, and a whimper escaped her as she burst into tears and turned away from the window. I took Mia by the shoulders and gave her a fierce hug. "She is really going to be o.k. Mia. Sarah is a hell of a fighter and you can see in her eyes that she is going to recover soon. C'mon sis. Honest. It looks bad with all the tubes and wires, but a lot of that comes off tomorrow the doctor says." I reassured her. Mia pulled back and looked up at me. "You promise, you aren't lying to make me feel better? She looks so sad and hurt. All those bandages and tubes! I may be a nursing student Leon, but that is Sarah in there and I really care about her! I want to know if she is going to be o.k. and it is such a shock to see her in that condition." she said.  
  
I told Mia that I really believed that Sarah was on the road to recovery. Mia admitted that Doctor Solomon had an excellent reputation and decided that Sarah was in very good hands. We both agreed that we would see Sarah first thing in the morning.  
  
When we left the hospital, no matter how much I wanted to leave by myself, Mia wouldn't let me ride alone. She grabbed Sarah's silver case that I had kept stashed, and hopped into Jesse's car with me. Vince had left for home in his car, before we did.  
  
"Are you hungry Leon? You want to stop somewhere?" Mia asked me.  
  
"I still don't really have an appetite Mia" I replied.  
  
She just nodded her head and after a moment she began, "You think Dom --- she caught herself, and frowned. Then she looked at me questioningly.  
  
I shrugged and said "I hope he won his race Mia. I'm sure everyone was asking about the rest of the team anyway." I said, half smiling at her.  
  
"Leon, I'm really sorry. I didn't know that Dom was.digging so deep. If you had---"  
  
"I was digging too Mia. I got crazy with it. I let it get way out of control, and look what happened." I said, turning the corner into our 'hood'.  
  
"She made it alive Leon. I know she'll be ok. I know the Doctor said she should be able to make a full recovery. She just needs lots of rest." I just have to keep reminding myself that she's going to make and she will be o.k. This was too close a call. It really freaked all of us out." After a minute's pause Mia asked, "Do you know exactly what they did to her?"  
  
"Do I really want to?" I said off-handedly as I turned onto our street and pulled up into the driveway and parked.  
  
"Well, I don't know. I mean it was major surgery. Yeah. They worked some miracles on her in there." Mia said smiling, before leaning over and hugging me. "We're all here for you honey." she whispered in my ear.  
  
"I know Mia, and I thank you for that."  
  
We got out of the car and saw that the team was all home. This time there was no party going on as usual. We walked in and saw Dom, Letty and Jesse waiting in the living room, They were sitting around, waiting nervously to hear from us. As soon as we walked in, all eyes were on us. I looked at Jesse sitting on the floor, with his legs curled up, biting his bottom lip. He looked like a scared little kid. Letty and Dom just stared at Mia and I, waiting. Vince had made it back to the house before us, and I could hear him clanking around in the kitchen doing something. Before any of us could say anything though, Brian walked through the door with some McDonald's bags and announced "Eats!"  
  
I nodded hello to him, before walking on into the living room. Dom started to move over on the couch to let me sit down.  
  
"I ain't sitting Dawg. I have to get up early tomorrow. I want to be back at the hospital before she wakes up."  
  
"Is she-?" Dom asked.  
  
"Yeah. She woke up tonight." Mia answered, as she happily accepted a wrapped burger from Brian. Vince joined us in the living room and Brian handed him one of the bags and the other to Letty after grabbing a burger for himself. Vince took a couple more burgers out and offered me the bag, but I shook my head. Jesse got to his feet and walked over to get a burgers from Vince and reached into the bag. I looked around at my team chowing down. This was the same team that I had been with for years. My family. I had loved them like they were my own blood, but looking at them that night, I felt like things were different. I couldn't explain it, but somehow I felt like we had all been changed. I just hoped it was for the better.  
  
Dom looked at me like he wanted to say something, but before he could get it out I decided that since tonight would be the first night I would be sleeping in my bed, in 5 days, I didn't want to hear anything from him yet. The anger was still, hovering and waiting. "I'm going to bed." I stated flatly and walked upstairs to my room.  
  
When I opened the door, I saw all of Sarah's bags scattered across the floor. My closet was in shambles, and I could see how she found the file we had put together about her. It looked like everything from my top shelf had landed on the floor. The shelf itself was half hanging from the wall too. There was a small empty space on the right side of my closet, where a few of her sundresses were hanging. I walked over to them and lightly touched them, letting the fabric run through my fingers. Finally, I walked around the shopping bags, and began stripping off all my clothes. When I finished, I climbed into bed naked and grabbed the pillow that Sarah had been using. I inhaled her sweet scent deeply. The memories that returned with her scent burned me as the remnants of my shame and guilt at hurting Sarah, still twisted inside.  
  
I closed my eyes and imagined her back at the IHOP, the day I first saw her. I could see Sarah in my mind's eye walking up to the door again. Her soft, wavy hair curled around her face and she wore a pair of sunglasses. She was wearing a baggy ECKO tee shirt, matching blue jeans, and Timberland Boots. Definitely a tomboy kind of a girl, but she couldn't hide those fine hips or that sweet ass. Yeah, I checked out what she was hiding under her baggy tee, and it looked pretty good to me too. After all, I'm a guy who has always admired the female form in it's many shapes and sizes, so although Sarah had done her best to conceal her form, what I saw that day still looked particularly appealing.  
  
When Sarah sat down at the table next to me and Jesse and took off her glasses, I saw her silver-blue eyes with their long, dark lashes. I remembered being amazed at the color and thinking to myself, "I could actually swim in eyes that beautiful!"  
  
I remembered how I wanted to see her smile, so I and teased and flirted obviously with her until she laughed. The moment she laughed was when she caught me. She surprised me with a throaty, musical laugh -- a sensual, womanly laugh. Her eyes crinkled up in amusement and her smile could have lit up a room. When she relaxed into her laughter, Sarah didn't hold back. She didn't know it, but that was the moment I decided that I was determined to have her.  
  
As I laid in my bed remembering the first time I saw Sarah and thinking about how much she had come to mean to me, I finally understood that I would willingly pay any price to have her in my life forever.  
  
Reaching over, I turned out the lamp next to my bed. "See you tomorrow baby-girl." I whispered into the darkness before my exhaustion took over and I surrendered to the welcoming arms of sleep. ***************************************************************** 


	20. chapter 20

TITLE: Running CHAPTER 20 of many chapters AUTHOR: Daaasl RATING: R for language, violence and some sex DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Vincent, Mia, Brian, Jessie and Letty belong the film company. All the other characters are mine all mine, though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: You can find previous chapters at: http://www.realmofvindiesel.homestead.com Anyone else wanting to post my fanfic on their site, please check with me. FEEDBACK: Please. I like to know what you think. But be gentle with me.  
  
Chapter 20  
  
Sarah filled my dreams all night. I watched her float toward me in white flowing light, always just out of my reach. I tried to grab her and hold her, but each time she would float away, just beyond reach. Just before I woke, I was able to reach out and lightly graze her fingertips. Sarah's smile filled me with warmth as her energy passed through me. When I looked again, I saw her floating away to the heavens. I begged her to stay, but she just smiled and waved.  
  
The sound of knocking on my door woke me, but I didn't want to move. I wanted to return to my dreams of Sarah, and her smiles; her warmth and her love. Then Vince's voice came to me through the door.  
  
"C'mon brother! Hospital is on the phone!"  
  
Jumping out of my bed, I threw a towel around my waist and flung open the door. I looked at Vince in horror, my haunting dream of Sarah still fresh in my mind  
  
"Relax man. She's alive." Vince said, throwing his hands up to assure me, when he saw my face.  
  
Until his words of reassurance, I hadn't realized how much my body had tensed. Releasing my breath with a whoosh of relief, I silently thanked god my dream hadn't been a vision of warning and nearly knocked Vince over as I flew past him and down the stairs to the kitchen phone.  
  
"Hello! . Yes, this is him. Really?! Well, that's good news then, right? OK. Is she up yet? Ok. OH! . Yeah, I will.. No. Don't tell her. I am on my way right now."  
  
I hung up the phone and looked over to see Dom, and Jesse watching me quietly. Jesse held his coffee mug to his lips, but hadn't taken a sip. Dom cupped his hands around his mug and waited to see what I would say.  
  
"She's getting the breathing tube out today!" I said grinning widely. I could feel the smile stretched across my face. I was insanely happy. Even though the doctor had asked if I wanted him to tell Sarah that she had lost the child, that problem just barely registered. I hadn't told anyone else about Sarah losing her baby. This was something they didn't need to know. Doctor Solomon told me that he hadn't told Sarah yet either and was waiting for me to arrive so that I could be of support to her. He agreed that I should be the one to tell her.  
  
As I stood in my glow of happiness, I heard Dome quietly say, "That's good." I saw him nod his head in approval. when I looked at him, but his eyes were in his mug and not on me. It had been 5 long days since Sarah's surgery, and I still couldn't bring myself to talk to Dom yet. I had been at the hospital every day, and Dom carefully steered clear. I hadn't been to the garage since the accident either. I hadn't really care whether he was upset at me about that or not. Nobody had said anything to me about my absence though. It just seemed to be understood that I was going to stay with Sarah at the hospital, to wait for her to return to consciousness. I thought I could see the guilt Dom was carrying in his posture, his quietness, and in his eyes. But I couldn't face his guilt and mine again yet. I looked over at Jesse and smiled happily again, before taking off for my room to clean up and get dressed.  
  
Last night, while I waited at the hospital for Sarah to regain consciousness, Vince, and Mia had come by as usual, to check on me and see how she was doing. When the doctor came out and said that Sarah was awake and that she asked to see Vince, I felt like crawling under a rock and dying right then.  
  
I surprised myself with how sharp it hurt that she hadn't asked to see me, but after all -- Vince was the one who had saved her life. Although I had waited every single day, hoping to be the first to see her awake again, there had been no guarantee that she would be any less angry with me for betraying her trust.  
  
Four days I'd been allowed to sit by her side; for just an hour or so, each day. First I had just held Sarah's hand quietly, just willing her to live and get well. After asking Dr. Solomon if she could hear me and him telling me that it wouldn't hurt to talk to her, I began to talk softly to Sarah. Mostly I just spoke her name and told her that I missed her and that I wanted her to get well and wake up soon so I could tell her how sorry I was. But soon I found that began to talk to her as if she were awake.  
  
I told her everything I could about myself. I told her all about my mom and how it was for me growing up with fear, violence, blood and tears. I told her that I totally understood how she had been hurt, not just physically, but emotionally too -- and how she could be so scared that her emotions were tearing her up inside. I told her that I didn't blame her for hiding her experiences from me. I would have done the same thing in her shoes. I told her that I understood how hard it was to try to explain to other people why it takes so long to leave or get away from the violence. I told her about my hatred and rage that my mother had escaped without taking me and about how long and hard I had been working to forgive her. I told her about the hell of living on the streets until Dom and V found me and took me to the shop and taught me how to work on cars. I told her about how long Mia and Letty had worked to remove my anger and distrust and to make me understand I was family to them. I cried as I held Sarah's hand and remembered the pain of my past and understood that hers was a lot like mine.  
  
I even told her about our team's truck heists, the Tran Gang, the Feds, and how Brian came around like a narc to try to bust us. I told her about the day when we nearly lost our whole team and how somehow, Brian had come through for all of us because of his love for Mia. I told her about how narrowly Dom and the rest of us escaped prosecution, only because Brian refused to testify and was thrown off the police force. I told her how Dom closed down the truck heist operations and went legit, except for our street racing meets. I told her how we still kept a look out over our shoulders like we always had because we were still on bad terms with the Tran Gang. I heard myself telling Sarah everything. I talked about why we ran our searches on her and built the damned file. I told her how it was our rule and nothing personal; that we did it to protect ourselves from anyone being sent in undercover again like Brian had been sent. Head down and holding her hand, and told her over and over that I was sorry. I prayed she would wake up. I even told myself that I didn't even care if she ever wanted to talk to me again. I told myself that would be o.k. I deserved it. I begged Sarah to her wake up and tell me personally that she didn't want to speak to me -- but please let her wake up.  
  
And here I was and I was going to have to tell Sarah everything again -- for real. Now she would be listening to what I had to say and would decide for herself if she wanted to accept it. I knew I promised God I didn't care if Sarah never spoke to me again. I just hoped God knew that I meant it at the time, but that I didn't think I could keep my promise now. Part of me was high and happy that Sarah was consciousness again and was getting well; the other part of me was freaking with dread that she would still hate me. I didn't remember ever feeling so fucked up! All the feelings of worry, love, guilt, frustration and need churned inside me. Man, I knew I wasn't running on all eight cylinders. Mia told me I was killing myself with guilt, but I didn't care. I would rather have put myself through all the hell in the world, then allow Sarah to feel any of it.  
  
When Doc Solomon told me over the phone that Sarah was getting the tube out, I felt a huge relief. I was so happy to hear him say she was getting better too. I wanted to go to her right that minute, but I also knew this wasn't going to be easy. I thought I should take Sarah flowers, but I suddenly realized that I really didn't know what she liked. Although she had told me some serious things about herself, and I was aware of the information in the file that we built, that I didn't really know much more than that about Sarah.  
  
I knew the details of her face: the way a dimple appeared when she smiled; how her nose wrinkled when she was annoyed, how her hair fell softly around her face, and how her eyes watched mine closely when we talked to each other. I knew that she was kind and willing to help anyone. I knew that she loved to laugh and sing. I also knew she had a dark past and some of the hell that Anthony put her through. I knew her mother was dead, but not how or why; I knew nothing about her father or even if she had any brothers or sisters. I realized that I wanted to know more about Sarah and the details surrounding her whole life.  
  
But I knew that if I ever wanted to get close to Sarah again, that I needed to face her and tell her exactly what I had done and why. It was going to be a day of reckoning for me. I was going to confess my sins against Sarah directly to her and Sarah would be my judge. I thought to myself that I knew the questions that would be coming and I knew, no matter how hard it was for her to hear, I would have to tell her the truth. I was going to put my heart in her hands and hope that she would be able to accept my confession and forgive me.  
  
I still had no idea how in the hell I was going to tell her about losing her baby! Had she even known she was pregnant? I couldn't be angry at her if she had known and kept the information from me. I knew how scared she was of Anthony and how alone she was when Jesse and I first ran across her. Sarah had just barely begun to warm up to me and trust me when all this shit hit the fan. How could I be angry with her? Look at everything about myself that I had kept from her.  
  
******** Letty's POV ********  
  
I 'd heard Leon tell Jesse and Dom about Sarah. Thank God, the news was good. I felt as shitty as Dom did. I'd jumped in her shit over Dom on the day of the accident. How could I let my jealousy run me like that? Why the hell did I even think she would respond to any flirting that Dom would do? It was Dom that I was really mad at. I thought I could see him warming Sarah up and putting the moves on her. How stupid could I be? Sarah and Leon had been all over each other ever since she got to town with him! It was so obvious that they had a thing for each other. All of us could see what was happening. My girl Mia is right. I've gotta get a grip. I gotta get over what Dom did and put it behind both of us. Shit.  
  
When I walked into the kitchen from the living room, Leon flew past me, headed for the stairs. I walked on in and sat down at the table with Jesse and Dom. Dom just looked at me briefly before looking away. I could feel his pain rolling off of him. I got up sat down gently on his lap. He just wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my shoulder. I heard Jesse get up and go to the stove to refill his coffee, but I just sat quietly with my arms around his shoulders and my chin resting against the top of his head.  
  
"I'm going to go up to my room and see if Vince is done checking those specs on my computer, if you guys need me." Jesse said quietly and left the room.  
  
Neither of us answered while we sat with our thoughts. I stroked the side of Dom's face gently. I knew how guilty he felt. I did too. I swear I thought I could actually feel his heart breaking. I finally broke our embrace and looked Dom in the eye.  
  
"You and Leon need to talk." I told him.  
  
"Yeah Letty, but I can't do that now. Not yet." Dom said. "Leon's going to see her today because the doctor is taking the tube out of her throat.."  
  
"I heard. So today he's gonna tell Sarah her about us checking her out --- "  
  
"Yeah." Dom answered me glumly.  
  
Taking Dom's chin in my hand, I said "When Mia and Vince came back home after Sarah's surgery, they both told me that Leon is really taking this hard and blames himself a lot too. He ain't just blaming you Dom. You two have been friends too long for this to tear you apart."  
  
Dom turned his head away from my hand frustrated. "Letty the girl almost died!" Dom growled. "Leon was right! I pushed everyone too hard, until it finally broke apart!" His voice grew deeper and rougher as he got more agitated.  
  
"Stop it Dom! Stop it right now." I said taking his face in my hands again. "You got to realize that this accident wasn't your fault, or Leon's, or mine, or anybody's. Vince told me that there was this big car chasing ---"  
  
"The Escalade!" Dom realized as his eyes snapped open wide.  
  
"So, maybe it was some gang bangers messing with Sarah, and she got spooked man. Who knows?! Baby, you gotta stop blaming yourself, its tearing all of us up to see you like this!"  
  
Dom's finally really saw me and way the tears were standing in my eyes. His face softened and he wrapped his arms around me again pulling me in closer, kissing my eyes and mouth tenderly and holding me.  
  
"Mi corazón. mi amor." I heard him whisper against my neck, sending warmth into my blood.  
  
"Es mi corazón también, mi amor" I replied huskily; kissing him deeply.  
  
With a deep sigh, Dom lifted me in his arms and stood up from his chair. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I looked at him questioningly.  
  
"Venido conmígo a nuestra cama." he said softly to me. "I need you Letty" Dom whispered into my hair.  
  
I know that my eyes told him everything as I nodded my head yes. I held onto Dom tightly, as he carried me back up the stairs to our room.  
  
(Spanish translation at end of document) *********** Brian's POV **********  
  
I heard Letty and Dom come back upstairs to their room and I knew it was time for Mia and I to get out of bed. Mia had taken the incident between Leon and Dom, and Sarah's car accident really hard. She had really taken a liking to Sarah, and Mia's instincts were usually good. After all, she had been right about me -- even when I hadn't been sure about myself. I rolled onto my side, and traced my fingers over her collarbone and neck until she woke up.  
  
"Hey beautiful" I whispered.  
  
"Brian I -" she began, but before she could say anything, my lips were on hers. This woman was the kindest creature I had ever met. One look in her eyes, and you could see straight to her soul. I put my arms around Mia and felt her arms as they encircled me. God I loved this woman. I didn't want to think what my life would be like without her. I buried my face in her neck and held her tightly.  
  
After a moment, she pulled away a bit and looked into my eyes.  
  
"Brian? What was that for?"  
  
"I love you Mia." I said solemnly, my eyes staring into hers.  
  
She smiled sweetly and reached up to touch my face, saying "No more than I love you Brian."  
  
I smiled back in relief and happiness and kissed her on the forehead.  
  
After a long, peaceful moment I finally sighed and said, "Got a lot of work to do at the garage today. Are you opening the store?"  
  
"Probably in another hour." she replied. " I want to go by and see Sarah first, since we weren't able to see her last night."  
  
I nodded my head and got up to begin getting dressed. I heard the sheets rustle as Mia got up too and as I pulled on my levis, I felt her come up behind me to run her hands over my chest. I wrapped her arms around me and felt her cheek resting on my back, her warm breath on my skin.  
  
I closed my eyes and said, "Don't ever leave me girl."  
  
"I'll never go anywhere without you." she replied, and I turned around and kissed her again.  
  
Its funny how traumatic experiences can force people into an understanding and acceptance of keeping things honest and real in their lives and relationships. I mean, I always knew I loved Mia. Hell, I gave up my whole past life to be with her, and I don't look back. But even though I had told her many times before Sarah's accident, how much she meant to me, I was compelled more than ever to be with Mia as much as possible, realizing how easily I could lose her. I gave Mia one last kiss, and went downstairs.  
  
Vince and Jesse came down from Jesse's room with the specifications we needed for one of the cars we were working on. They joined me as I grabbed a couple of oranges for breakfast and headed out the door. We would be the ones opening the shop today since Dom and Letty were . preoccupied.  
  
******* Leon's POV *******  
  
I made it to the hospital in no time. I was so excited that Sarah was going to be able to breathe, talk and eat on her own today. 6 days ago, they weren't even sure if she would live. I was impressed by her strength. After all Sarah had been through, she fought for her life and won. I went up to her floor and stopped off at the nurses station to check in before I made it to her room. All of the nurses knew me by a first name basis by now, and I was greeted two of them.  
  
"Sarah's being taken off of the respirator today, right?" Tom asked with a big grin.  
  
"Yeah, I'm real proud of her."  
  
"Well, the support and encouragement has a lot to do with it you know." piped up the other nurse, who looked up from the desk.  
  
Tom agreed saying, "She has you and your friends to thank you know. You never left this place and stayed with her every chance that was available. That counts for a lot."  
  
I just dropped my head and shook it. I didn't deserve their kind words. I wasn't a good man. I was a man racked with guilt, and that had been a huge part of what had kept me there. I looked up and nodded to them in thanks and then slowly padded down the hall to her room. When I was a few feet away I heard could hear Dr. Solomon's voice speaking to her, so I waited outside the door and listened.  
  
"Well, Ms Ippolito, as soon as I get the final word from our respiratory surgeon, we will take you off the respirator and get rid of this tube today. I know you are looking forward to that."  
  
For a moment there was silence; then the doctor continued.  
  
"I'll wait until you can talk to me. Then we will go over everything that happened ok? I would much rather you talk to me, then just have me rattle off information to you. Your fiancé is due in shortly, I had one of the nurses call him with the good news. Ah here he is now."  
  
I had gone ahead and walked in just as the doctor was finishing up. I walked over and shook his hand.  
  
"Doctor Solomon." I nodded to him, before looking over at Sarah and smiling.  
  
"Good Morning son. so you got the good news?"  
  
"Yes, Thank you so much for all of your help-"  
  
"It's my job, and it is a pleasure to know Sarah is doing so well." he said with a warm smile. " I'll leave you two alone, I should be back within the hour." he said to me with a knowing look. I knew he wanted me to tell her about the baby. I just didn't know if I was going to be able to do it, and my nerves tightened another inch.  
  
"Hey." I said as I sat down and took Sarah's hand. She looked so weak and small. I tried to catch her eye, but she kept looking towards the window.  
  
"You want me to open the window?" I asked, and she slowly nodded her head. I got up, and pulled back the blinds to allow the morning sun in her room. Her tiny smile under the tapes and tube let me know she was happy to feel the warmth on her face. I walked back over to the other side of the bed, sat down, and took her hand. I kissed it gently and held it to my face.  
  
"I'm so glad you are doing better Sarah. I've been scared out of my mind, but you fought and won and you've made it. I'm really proud of you. You are one strong woman." and I smiled at her in my happiness Sarah's silvery- blue eyes glowed with the sunlight in the room and she looked into my eyes, watching me. I wished I knew what she was thinking, but I realized it would be a little longer before I would hear her beautiful voice again.  
  
"Sarah, there's something I have to tell you. I need to tell you some things and I am worried that you may not like some of it, but this is the only way that a lot of what has happened is going to make any sense. I want to the one who tells you, since I am the one responsible . I have to tell you." I said taking a ragged breath. I saw her brow furrow in confusion and she tried to stir in the bed. A moan escaped her from beneath the tube and I saw her face wince at the pain.  
  
"Don't Sarah! What are you doing? Please don't move baby, or you will hurt yourself!" I begged. But she kept trying to sit up more, forcing tears to the corners of her eyes. I jumped up from the chair, and held her shoulder, trying to reassure her. Our faces were only inches apart and I looked desperately into her eyes, pleading with her.  
  
"Sarah, I'm begging. Don't do this! I don't mean to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you. Please. We can wait the half hour until the doctor comes back and you can talk to me too, ok?"  
  
******** Sarah's POV *******  
  
Was Leon insane?!! I couldn't believe this man! I had been in the hospital -- I don't even know how many days, and the first time I feel like there is hope, he comes in here and tells me he has more bad news! I had to get out of there. I didn't care what the doctor said. I didn't want to be around Leon for another minute. I tried to get up, but as soon as I moved, or put any weight on my arm, knives of pain shot through me. I moaned involuntarily, but I refused to let that stop me. I fought the pain, trying to get up until Leon was practically laying on top of me, trying to hold me down.  
  
"Please Sarah, don't do this!" I hear him demand. I looked up to see his face only inches from mine. I could hear his voice but not the words he was saying. I felt him wipe the corners of my eyes gently, with his thumb. Was I crying again? I looked up at him, and saw the desperation in his eyes, and I thought "Good, you bastard. You should feel bad about what happened to me. It was all your fault anyway. If I hadn't trusted and you hadn't lied to me, none of this would have happened. I ----" Wait! A heaviness began to wash through me and I could feel the arms of darkness pulling at me. I tried to keep glaring at Leon in my frustration, but my lids were getting heavy.  
  
"Sarah, Sarah!" Leon's voice is getting further and further away. Please, don't let me sleep again. I want to be awake for when they take --- .  
  
"It's ok Sarah. Sleep now baby." I thought I heard his faint whisper in the distance of my mind before I went out once again.  
  
******** Leon's POV ******** As I tried to get Sarah to stop struggling, her eyes glared at me in anger and confusion. The stress couldn't be good for her! Then as suddenly as she had started struggling, she went limp and I watched as her eyes began to glaze. Her eyelids began to flutter and I could see her trying to fight off sleep.  
  
"Sarah.Sarah!" I tried to keep her conscious, but I heard one of her monitors going off, and remembered that one of the nurses had told me that it was the way that her morphine dose was given. It was timed and came on automatically. As soon as I realized she wasn't going into a coma or anything like that, I loosened my grip on her shoulder and kissed her gently on the forehead.  
  
"Its ok Sarah. Sleep now baby." I said before getting up and closing the blinds to her window again. I sat impatiently waiting for the doctor to return. It only took him another 10 minutes.  
  
"I see she got her morphine shot." he said.  
  
I looked up and said. "Yeah, doc. Can you still take out the tube?"  
  
"Actually its better if she's asleep. She won't fight it as much. If you could give me a hand --"  
  
"Uh..yeah..sure." I replied.  
  
"Fine. If you could just carefully remove the tape from her face, without pulling on the tube." he said as he put on a pair of latex gloves. Piece by piece I took off the tape until it was removed from her face. Doctor Solomon went around to the other side of her bed and nodded to me.  
  
"Ok, now as I remove the tubing, please just guide the slack onto the bedcovers so that it won't get tangled in her IV or other tubing. Just take the slack from me ok?" I nodded and watched in awe as the doctor disconnected the tube from the machine, and then slowly started to pull it out of Sarah's throat. She lay there without moving, oblivious to her surroundings. I took the tubing as the doctor fed it to me, careful to avoid getting it entangled in the other stuff attached to Sarah. When he took it out, I realized there was about 2 feet of tubing that had gone down her throat and into her lungs. When the doctor finished, he threw the old tubing away and set up a tiny oxygen line that went over her ears and fed oxygen to her through her nose.  
  
"There, that should be more comfortable." he said as he cleaned up in the sink. "Did you have any time to tell her that she lost her baby?"  
  
"No doc, but I plan to tell her when she wakes up."  
  
"Yes. Well, since this was rather traumatic all around, I think it would be best if she hears it from you and knows that she has your support. You will both need to comfort each other. A loss like that can be very sad." he said patting my shoulder. "Let one of the nurses know when she wakes, please. We want to start her on a bland diet today." He smiled reassuringly at me and then left the room, waving his hand in response to my thank you.  
  
I looked back over to Sarah who rested peacefully. I knew that when she woke, she would probably still be upset and angry with me. I knew I deserved it. I sat back in the chair, watching and waiting for her to wake up and yell at me. That was o.k. I could deal with it. I just wanted to hear her voice again.  
  
****************************************************** "Mi corazón. mi amor." My heart. My love.  
  
"Es mi corazón también, mi amor" You are my heart too, my love  
  
"Venido conmigo a nuestra cama.." Come with me to our bed. 


	21. Chapter 21

TITLE: Running CHAPTER 21 of many chapters AUTHOR: Daaasl RATING: R for language, violence and some sex DISCLAIMER: The characters of Dominic, Leon, Vincent, Mia, Brian, Jessie and Letty belong the film company. All the other characters are mine, all mine though. Any copyright infringement is unintended. ARCHIVE: You can find previous chapters at: http://www.realmofvindiesel.homestead.com Anyone else wanting to post my fanfic on their site, please check with me. FEEDBACK: Please. I like to know what you think. But be gentle with me.  
  
Mia's POV ******** The house got really quiet after Brian left with Vince and Jesse. I tapped softly on Dom's bedroom door to see if he was there and creaked open the door to see that Dom and Letty lay peacefully asleep in each other's arms. I couldn't help but smile. I decided against waking them up because I knew Brian, V, and Jesse were probably already at the garage, so there was no need to make either of them get up yet. I tiptoed down the hallway to the stairs and went down to see if Leon had left yet. There was a note on the fridge.  
  
M, Going to the hospital now. I'll see you there. Leon  
  
I poured myself some coffee and took it back upstairs with me while I finished getting ready. I thought of picking up some flowers for Sarah on my way to join Leon at the hospital. Maybe they would lift her spirits and give her something nice to see besides all the machines and tubes. I shivered as I remembered seeing poor Sarah through the tiny glass pane in the door to her room. She looked so small and helpless. Even from so far away, I could see how bruised Sarah was and how many kinds of emergency equipment were hooked up to her in case she should relapse into unconsciousness or her kidneys began to fail, or.... I had to make myself stop. From nurses' training, I was fully aware that Sarah was not completely recovered yet and that it would still be a little while before she could confidently be declared out of danger, by the doctor. I just hoped Sarah would be feeling better and that she would be in a forgiving mood when we saw her today.  
  
I went out to my car and was about to get in when I noticed a black SUV parked across the street, and about 3 houses down from where I was standing. I couldn't remember having seen it in the 'hood before. I decided that was the reason why it caught my attention. After a second, I snapped my fingers as if I had forgotten something and returned to the house. Closing the front door behind me, I stood and tried to think of why the sight of the big SUV was making me so nervous. I'd thought all of the drama with the heists were over, but it suddenly occurred to me that someone might be watching us again!  
  
As I stood, trying to decide what I should do next, I heard Letty's bare feet pattering down the stairs.  
  
Lett! C'mere!" I frantically waved my hand at her, and whispered to her hoarsely.  
  
"What's going Mia?" Letty looked confused, but kept her voice at the same level of whispering that I had used.  
  
"You see that truck? Just parked there down the street?" I said pointing through our front window curtains. She moved to a little spot between the curtains where she could see and squinted, focusing her eyes. Suddenly Letty turned, ran to the foot of the stairs and yelled up.  
  
"Dom! Dom! Get down here now!"  
  
Letty had gone half way up the stairs before Dom appeared on the landing above.  
  
"What the hell Letty--?" he began in confusion.  
  
"Just get your ass down here quick Dom! We need you."  
  
Running back down the stairs and over to the window where I was still watching, Letty turned to Dom, waiting impatiently. When he joined us at the window, Letty asked him in an intense whisper, "Is this the Escalade V told us was tailing Sarah on the day of her wreck.?"  
  
Dom's eyebrows shot up and looked at both of us; then looked out through the curtain like Letty had.  
  
"Holy shit!" he barked, turning from the window and reaching for the handle of the front door in a flash.  
  
"No! No! Dom, don't!" I yelled pulling at his arm. Dom turned to me with a glare. I could see his temper flaring and the flash of anger.  
  
"Who is that out there?" I asked frantically.  
  
"I don't know, but that's the fucking truck that ran Sarah off the road, and I'm gonna break their fucking necks!!"  
  
"Stop Dom!' Letty yelled, as he furiously pulled his arm from my grasp. Reaching out her hand to stop him, she lowered her voice to a loud whisper again, and said "Damn it Dom, they'll just run by the time you get to the end of the porch! Don't do this!" Her eyes demanded that he listen to her.  
  
"What the hell? You expect me to just let them just sit outside our door and watch us all? Fuck that!" As he turned back to the door, he pushed me aside too roughly and I landed hard on the floor, with a yelp. The shock in my eyes must have registered with him, because he suddenly reached down to me, startled.  
  
"Oh Jesus Mia! God, I'm sorry. Are you ok?" he asked with concern as he pulled me up.  
  
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Letty yelled, as she punched him hard in the arm.  
  
Dom didn't even flinch at the punch, but it got his attention and he turned to Letty distracted, with a mild look of hurt feelings on his face. Putting my hands out to them both, I assured them quickly.  
  
"It's ok you guys. I'm all right. I just stumbled. I'm fine. But I've got an idea too. Wait here for a second, o.k.?"  
  
I ran back upstairs to Leon's room and looked out the window. From that point, I had a clear view of the Escalade sitting just down and across the street. I ran back downstairs to Jesse's room and grabbed his binoculars. Letty and Dom gave me questioning looks as I waved towards them to wait one more minute and raced back up stairs. When I came back down within a minute, to rejoin them at the window, I calmly handed a slip of paper to Dom.  
  
"Two can play this game." I said smiling grimly as I gave it to him.  
  
Looking down at the paper in Dom's hand, Letty's eyes widened in appreciation and she said "Good work Mia!" and gave my shoulder a squeeze.  
  
As Dom digested the information on the paper, he nodded his head in agreement and finally said, "OK. OK. So we go about our business like nothing happened then. Mia? You still going to the hospital?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Ok, we're gonna make sure they don't follow you there. Better yet, we all leave the same time. I'll make sure I get their attention and distract them. Then I'll take this information over to Jesse and have him start on it right away. When you get back from the hospital Mia, we should know who the hell this is."  
  
Dom and Letty went upstairs and dressed quickly so we could all leave together. When we made it outside, the truck was still parked down across the street in the same spot. None of us gave it a glance, and we all left in different directions. As I watched in my rearview mirror, I noticed that I had been able to leave without them on my tail. I still didn't relax until I made it to the hospital though. After I parked in the lot, I waited quietly in my car for 10 minutes to be positive that the Escalade was nowhere in sight and then finally went in to see Sarah.  
  
******* Dom's POV *******  
  
I was able to get between the Escalade and Mia's car, slowing them down long enough to distract them, and for Mia to get a couple of miles ahead. It felt good screwing with the Escalade, know that I was really pissing off whoever was driving, with my maneuvers. I grinned widely with pleasure. It made me feel good to get even a little.  
  
Letty and I made it to the garage at the same time, even though we took different routes, so we both got to see the Escalade gun it's engine and race away in fury as we pulled up and parked. After we got inside, I pulled Jesse to one side.  
  
"Run this for me right now!"  
  
Jesse just nodded and dipped off into the office. I looked over at Leon's car. It was almost finished. I thought it would be a nice surprise for him to come back to find his car all finished, with new decals. I even added a few upgrades to his engine that he had been talking about wanting to add. It was the least I could do.  
  
I knew Mia would be bringing him back here after their visit with Sarah. After lunch, I figured I would quietly leave and go by to see Sarah myself. I wanted her to understand that she shouldn't blame Leon for our checking up on her background. It was a necessary part of protecting the family for me, and for the family to protect itself. It was important for me to know your credentials if you are going to be around me and mine.  
  
Although the information we got about her scum of an ex-boyfriend being related to the mob was disturbing, the rest of her background was solid and reassuring. We all make our mistakes and this Anthony punk was probably just a lousy break for her. Over the weeks that Sarah had stayed with us, I had pretty much started to think of her as a potential part of the team anyway. She was friendly, good natured and smart as shit at crunching numbers. She would be a big plus for us in managing our business. Better yet, she seemed to really enjoy doing that for us. I like Sarah's willingness to pitch in. I wanted to tell her that we were all hoping she would stay and help us out. I wanted to tell her that myself.  
  
As I was lost in thought, Vince came up from behind me and rested his hand on my shoulder, making me jump.  
  
"Whoa there brother! Its just me." and he slapped me on the shoulder a bit harder, giving me it a hard squeeze for good measure.  
  
"Sorry, my mind's somewhere else." I replied.  
  
"All of us are like that." he grinned like a monkey. Then he got serious. "You uh. find anything out about what I was telling you?"  
  
"Actually yeah, I did man. Mia saw the fucker parked on our block this morning. Jesse's running the plates as we speak."  
  
"Great man. When we catch this bastard -"  
  
"Ah. No. Not just yet V. We still have to tell Leon yet."  
  
"Yeah. The two of you really need to sit down and talk first -- before anything else."  
  
"Yeah.We will eventually."  
  
"Eventually ain't good enough brother. You need to do it today!"  
  
************** MIA's POV *************  
  
I went up to Sarah's room and stopped in at the nursing station. One of the nurses told me that Sarah was getting the tube removed from her throat just then and that I should wait until the doctor came out. I sat down in the lounge again, and within minutes, I saw Dr. Solomon come through the door towards me.  
  
"Miss Toretto, good morning."  
  
"Dr. Solomon. How is she?"  
  
"Much better. She is breathing on her own now, although she is sleeping. It's just the effects of the pain killers. As her strength increases she should be able to stay awake longer after each dose."  
  
"Is Leon in there now?"  
  
"Yes. Probably asleep too." he said. "It's good to see she has such a good support network of good friends around her. After her multiple surgeries and the traumatic loss of the baby, she will need all the support she can get."  
  
"I'm sorry doctor. Did you say 'baby'?" I blurted.  
  
Dr. Solomon flushed in embarrassment and he reached up with one hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, as his eyes squeezed shut. Opening his eyes with a sigh, he said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you that. I made a mistake." Looking at me solemnly, he finally said, "We discovered that your friend Sarah, had been approximately 6 or 7 weeks pregnant at the time of the accident. Unfortunately the multiple traumas she sustained in the accident caused spontaneous miscarriage, and there was nothing we could do."  
  
Doctor Solomon watched my face as I took in this shocking information. Then he continued.  
  
"I suggested to her fiancé that he be the one to tell her, so that he could comfort and support her. I am very sorry about this surprise. I assumed that as their close friend, you already knew."  
  
"No." I replied. "We didn't know. I mean -- she hadn't told me yet." I told the doctor in a daze.  
  
After a moment he said that I could go in to Sarah to visit. He told me once more that he was sorry, before he turned and left. Still stunned, I walked slowly to her room and looked in through the little window in her door. I saw Leon curled up in the chair next to her bed, and Sarah watching him sleep. She was awake, so I opened the door and crept in, mouthing the word 'hello' while waving to her. Sarah smiled and followed me with her eyes as I walked to the side of her bed, across from Leon, still sleeping in his chair. I reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.  
  
Sarah spoke low, in a rough whisper. "It's so good to see you Mia! God, I'm glad you came!"  
  
Leaning down, I kissed her cheek and said, " I've missed you too Sarah. I was so worried about you. How are you doing honey?" I squeezed her hand gently again and her forehead wrinkled slightly as she looked at me with questions in her eyes.  
  
"How long has he been here?" she said softly, nodding towards Leon. She struggled slightly to get out the words. Her voice was whispery-rough but by leaning closer, I could hear her fine. I lowered my voice to a whisper also.  
  
"Leon hasn't left your side until you woke up yesterday. After he talked to you, I finally got him to come home and get some decent sleep."  
  
"How long have I been in here?" she asked me next.  
  
"You've been in here for 6 days honey." Sarah's eyes popped with astonishment and then she rolled her eyes at me.  
  
"Guess I did a number on myself, huh?" she whispered and then began to laugh but I could see that the pain made her wince.  
  
"Shh, girl! Don't try to be funny." I shushed her giving her a tiny grin. "You still got a few tubes in your side and your arms." I said, pointing to the ones still sticking out of her upper torso, under her left arm, and to the IV in her right arm.  
  
Suddenly Sarah's face grew serious. "Mia, there was a silver briefcase that I had in the car-"  
  
I reassured her, saying "V got it out for you and Leon has it in his room. It's safe."  
  
Sarah sighed with relief and slowly blinked away the panic of losing the case.  
  
Looking into my eyes, she whispered softly "I don't really want to see Leon right now Mia. I know he hasn't left my side, and I love him for that, but right now I just can't deal with him, and all the lies, and the crazy shit and ---" Her whisper trailed away as her eyes began to glisten with tears.  
  
"Oh Sarah. I'm so sorry. I understand what your saying. He feels like hell about all this too." I told her.  
  
After a pause, I continued whispering. "I tell you what. I'll try to get him out of here for a bit. It will give you a little rest, but I know he doesn't want to leave you for long, so it may not be easy."  
  
I thought for a minute as I looked into her pleading eyes. Suddenly I had an idea.  
  
I whispered to her, "Pretend to be sleeping and, I'll see about persuading him to leave for at least a little bit."  
  
She nodded with a grateful look and closed her eyes gently. I waited for a minute or two before I quietly walked around to the other side of the bed and put my hand gently on Leon's shoulder. I leaned my head down close to his ear.  
  
"Hey you." I whispered as I shook his shoulder softly. Leon's eyes flew open, but didn't focus immediately. When they did, he immediately checked Sarah over and after a moment he moved to unfold himself from the chair quietly and stretch.  
  
"Hey Mia." he said in a soft voice. "She's still asleep?" he asked as he looked back to her and searched her face again.  
  
"Yeah. I didn't want to disturb her. Why don't you go get the two of us some coffee and stretch your legs. I'll take over the watch for you for a little bit, and you can get me a cappucino downstairs" I suggested. Leon turned his head back to me.  
  
"It's really important that I talk to her Mia." Leon told me. "There's something the doctor hasn't told her yet. He wanted me to tell her --"  
  
"I already know." I interrupted quickly. Leon drew in a breath sharply and his eyes grew wide with anger and shock.  
  
"How did you --" his voice began to rise.  
  
I wrinkled up my face and shushed Leon quietly. I continued, "Doctor Solomon accidentally told me. He assumed that since all of us seemed so close, that I just knew." Leon stared at me, stunned. I whispered to Leon again, repeating my words. "He just thought I already knew Leon."  
  
Leon lowered his head and let out a deep sigh. We both stood quietly, thinking. Then he looked up at me, his face sad and concerned, his eyes wet with unshed tears.  
  
"How do I tell her Mia? I.How in God's name can I tell her something so serious like this?" His eyes searched my face as he whispered to me.  
  
"Oh Leon. I don't know." I replied with sympathy.  
  
We stood in silence a little longer and then I asked him, "Leon? What if I tell her? Maybe it would be easier to hear this from me -- another woman. You know? I will tell her what the doctor said happened, if you want me to. Do you want me to tell her?"  
  
Leon let out another ragged sigh, before running his hands through his hair. Looking at me again, he held my eyes as he thought about he should do. After a long moment, he closed his eyes and nodded yes. When he opened his eyes, I nodded my head o.k. Leon walked over to Sarah lightly traced the outline of her face while placing a tender kiss on her forehead, before he turned to leave. Before he left the room entirely, I stopped him briefly and hugged him hard. When I let him go, he gave me a rueful smile and slowly walked out of the room.  
  
When I finally turned back to Sarah's bed, I was greeted with her wide-open eyes filled with fear and dread.  
  
"Tell me what?" she demanded in a harsh whisper.  
  
*********** Leon's POV ***********  
  
Before getting the coffee, I stopped downstairs for a smoke break. All this was so much harder then I could have imagined it would be. I decided to sit outside for a while. The morning air felt good, and I wasn't in a hurry to return to the grief that I would probably find on Sarah's face. I stayed outside for about fifteen minutes before I went to the cafeteria to get coffee for Mia and I.  
  
I stopped at the gift shop, and saw a small bouquet of yellow and white roses, laced with honeysuckle flowers and little ferns. I felt a smile return to my face as I inhaled the sweet scent. God I loved Sarah. Wait! Did I just say that? I couldn't possibly be in love with her! Its only been a month since I first saw her. Love doesn't hit that fast.  
  
As I stood in the gift shop staring at the bouquet in my hands, I looked up and saw my reflection looking back at me from the glass in the flower case. I was startled by the guy looking back at me. I was clean, but my hair needed a cut and kind of stuck out in different directions; my shirt clean but pretty wrinkled; I'd lost weight, so I looked a little thin; I'd been inside so long I was getting pale; and, there was this odd smile on my face as I held this bouquet of delicate flowers in my large hands. I looked pretty funny to me when I saw myself. Damned old coyote, Vince! He always knows how to read me. Hell, he saw the signs days ago, but I was too pissed to hear him clearly at the time. I laughed at the fool in the reflection.  
  
After I paid for the flowers, I took them and the coffee back upstairs. I passed the nurse's station with a quick nod and approached Sarah's room. As I got closer, I slowed down. I began to fill with dread again. I slowed to a stop just outside the room and took a few deep, slow breaths to pull my shit together. That was when I heard soft crying. My heart dropped to my feet. I could hear their soft voices filled with tears. Sarah's breathless sobs ripped at me, but I didn't want to walk in yet. I was afraid of making things worse. I stood frozen to the spot and I could hear their murmured words.  
  
"Sarah, it'll be ok. You're going to be fine." Mia said in a little voice.  
  
"Mia, I'm just . I don't understand!" Sarah's said hoarsely, "How far along did the doctor say I was?"  
  
"Doctor Solomon told me it was 6 or 7 weeks along honey."  
  
After a moment of silence Sarah began. "That was about two or three weeks before I. ..  
  
There was a longer silence and then Sarah gasped. "Oh dear God!"  
  
I stopped myself before I could rush through the door to respond to the shock and upset in her voice. Instead, I took the chance of looking carefully around the corner of the doorway and was in just in time to see Sarah's face crumple in pain. She turned her head into her pillows and let out a small wail of hurt and sorrow.  
  
I saw Mia lean forward in concern, stroking Sarah's hair and speaking gently to her.  
  
"Sarah, what's wrong? What happened two or three weeks before? Talk to me please?"  
  
Mia was trying hard to get Sarah to talk; to tell her what had happened and why.  
  
Sarah turned her head to Mia and said in her tearful hoarse whisper, "Oh Mia. God help me!" she gasped. "Two and a half weeks before I left, Anthony beat me really bad. But -- but. that's wasn't all." and Sarah let out a strangled sob.  
  
I pulled back from the doorway, my fists clenched in anger, when I heard her tell of the beating she got from Anthony. I took a deep breath, trying to hold back my anger and concentrated on hearing what else Sarah would say.  
  
"I don't understand Sarah." Mia pleaded. "Did he rape you? Was it. Was this Anthony's baby? Sarah honey. You cannot carry this kind of thing around inside like this forever."  
  
A long silence was broken only by Sarah's sobs. Damn it! Nobody was talking anymore. I wanted Sarah to talk! What had happened to her? What? It was everything I could do to I force myself to stay outside the room, in the hallway.  
  
"I don't know." I heard Sarah finally whisper.  
  
Mia's voice said kindly, "Please, tell me what happened Sarah. I don't know how to help you if I don't know what happened honey."  
  
Another quiet moment and then I heard Sarah ask. "Mia, did you know the team ran a background check on me?"  
  
Shit. I didn't like where that was going. I made a few shuffling noises outside and then I walked into the room with the flowers and slowly crossed to Sarah's bed as if nothing special was up.  
  
"Hey Sarah." I said trying to behave as if I was o.k., but the look on her face, brought up my guilty feelings again.  
  
Glaring at me through her tears she demanded. "I need to know why Leon. Why did you do it to me?" She looked hard at me, with hurt as I placed the flowers on the table next to her. I searched my mind for the right words to say.  
  
"The team had to know you weren't a threat to us." Mia said quietly.  
  
Sarah's head turned quickly to Mia and she stared at her in disbelief and anger. "So you knew about all of this?"  
  
"Most of it yeah." Mia answered. "I'm a part of the family -- of the team, so I knew what was being done." she said with some shame.  
  
Sarah huffed in frustration, causing a sharp pain in her side. She yelped in pain and fury. Her head moved back and forth as she stared at each of us with a combination of contempt and hurt.  
  
"We can't talk about this anymore today Sarah. We'll have to talk more about this later. Your doctor isn't going to like it if we get you more upset." and then she looked over at me in desperation.  
  
Catching the look, Sara asked coldly. "Does he know what you just told me Mia?"  
  
Mia stared at me with a dumbfounded look. Sarah's question had taken her by surprise and she really didn't know what to say. I just turned my head to Sarah and nodded my head yes as I looked in her eyes.  
  
"The doctor told me." I said to her. He thought it would be good for you to have support from all of us while you are recovering from everything." Sarah's wail of anger and pain made my insides twist and lurch. A nurse came flying into the room in response to the noise.  
  
"What's going on here? What are you doing? You can't upset her. I have to ask you to leave now." said the nurse grabbing my arm and ushering Mia and I out of the room.  
  
"Wait! No! Please, nurse" Sarah begged, to stop the nurse. She paused to catch her breath for a moment, watching the three of us stopped in the doorway to her room. "It'll be o.k." she said as she labored to catch her breath. Sarah continued to gasp, trying to get her breathing under control, when suddenly a realization crossed over her face. Terror flashed in her eyes. "I. I can't breathe." she gasped.  
  
"That's it! You have to leave while we get her stabilized! The nurse gave us a final push out of the room. Mia and I stumbled into hallway while another nurse rushed past us, into the room. Poor Mia's face was puffy from crying. I felt ashamed that I had been eavesdropping on Mia and Sarah, so I played dumb.  
  
"What did she say when you told her she lost the baby Mia?"  
  
"Oh Leon!" she said as she folded up, falling against me in tears again. I just held her and smoothed her hair patiently.  
  
"It's ok. Shhh Mia. It's gonna be ok." I told her.  
  
She finally looked up at me. "No, it's not Leon. That.that.pig raped her." I felt my jaw clench again immediately and my anger and blood began to boil.  
  
Mia began to ramble, talking mostly to herself. "I know there's more to her story, but she never finished telling me. What could there be? What could be worse then that? God, didn't that bastard put her through enough?"  
  
"We'll take care of her. Mia I swear to God!"  
  
" I know you'll take care of her. I know you love her Leon." I looked at Mia in surprise. Christ! Was it so obvious to everyone but me? What was happening to me? I had never let any women affect me so deeply. Mia and I waited in the hallway outside Sarah's room until the nurses came back out.  
  
"You two go home please. She has recovered her breath and we've sedated her so she will be forced to rest." said the senior nurse. If you get her worked her up like that again though, we will be forced to remove you from her visiting list. You need to understand. Any added stress will be detrimental in her recovery." Before either one of us could answer, the nurse huffed away, taking the other nurse with her. Mia and I looked at each other in shock.  
  
I growled. "I wasn't purposely trying to upset Sarah! What the hell is wrong with that bitchy ---" "Leon don't. Don't waste your time or energy. Let's just go back to the garage, for now, okay? We can try visiting hours again later tonight."  
  
The garage. Hell, I hadn't been there in a week. My car had been sitting there rotting away. Jesse was cool about me using his car all week. He just caught rides with Vince for the most part. As I followed Mia back to the garage, I wondered what was in store for me there. I knew I needed to talk to Dom. I had blamed him for everything that had happened, when it was really all my fault. I knew had I made him feel like a piece of shit, but misery loves company man. I had made it a point to make him as miserable as I was. Now it was time to set things straight. ****************************************** 


	22. 22

TITLE: Running  
  
CHAPTER 22 of many chapters  
  
AUTHOR: Daaasl  
  
RATING: R for language, violence and some sex  
  
DISCLAIMER: The characters from TFATF belong solely of Universal films. No profit is being made from this work, and any copyright infringement is entirely unintentional. All other characters created for this fiction are mine, and should not be used in other materials or websites without my permission.  
  
ARCHIVE: You can find previous chapters at: http://www.realmofvindiesel.homestead.com Anyone else wanting to post my fanfic on their site, please check with me.  
  
FEEDBACK: Please. I like to know what you think. But be gentle and constructive. =======================================  
  
Running  
  
by Daaasl  
  
Chapter 22  
  
********** Dom's POV ********** I heard the sound of engines around the corner and came out of the shop in time to see my sister and Leon walking up. It was earlier then I had expected to see either one. Mia came up first, stopping to plant a sweet kiss on my cheek before walking inside to look for Brian. I smiled as I watched her fade into the garage and turned back to Leon, only to be confronted with his solemn stare. My smile quickly faded.  
  
"Let's talk." he said to me, looking away and down at the ground. I nodded and turned to head back to the office inside.  
  
"No, Dawg. Just you and me private" he said in protest. So, I turned on my heel and we walked together out to Jesse's car. We both turned, and standing side by side, leaned back against the hood with our arms folded.  
  
We were both quiet for a moment and then I began. "Look Leon I--"  
  
"No let me go first." he interrupted me.  
  
I looked over at him and nodded.  
  
"Look, Dawg, I have been blaming you for everything that happened with Sarah, but it wasn't all your fault. It's my fault."  
  
"But Leon, there was a---" I began, but he interrupted me abruptly again.  
  
"Dom! Let me finish man."  
  
I sighed but I said nothing and waited. I really wanted to tell him, but I knew how he was and I let him say his peace.  
  
"I got too caught up, just like you said I was going to." Leon said. "I let her get to me.I let myself . get too close. I should have never brought her here." he said in a pained voice. For a long, quiet moment we were both silent.  
  
"Are you done now?" I asked quietly. Leon nodded, still gazing at the asphalt.  
  
"Ok, Leon. One -- You were right to bring her here. I can see how she gets to you, and that isn't a bad thing. I think it's a good thing. I don't think I ever saw you this serious about any female before, and I think she is good for you. You aren't as angry and hot headed as you were before she got here." I said. He looked over at me in surprise and let out a short bark of laughter, nodding in agreement.  
  
"Two -- None of this shit was your fault Leon. We all knew we had to find out what she was bringing to the table. Just because our background search backfired doesn't mean we were wrong to protect ourselves. Besides, there's.something we haven't told you yet." I said, waiting for his reaction. All was silent for a brief moment again. I was ready for him to lunge at me, but Leon just waited silently to hear what I had to say.  
  
"Umm, well, Vince.. he ah-" I began and then paused, searching for the right words.  
  
"C'mon Dom." said Leon impatiently. "What is it now. I can't deal with any more secrets after all that has----"  
  
"There was a truck hounding Sarah when he found her. She was running from it hard. V says that's what caused her to overshoot the corner and go over the embankment." I let the words fly from my mouth so fast it sounded like it was all one syllable. Leon just stared at me and I could see his anger building up again. His face started to shake involuntarily, and his fist were clenched tight.  
  
"Leon man. Chill out. I've got Jesse, Brian, Hector, and Edwin on this. I put out the word, and I have everyone keeping an eye out."  
  
Leon looked at me with anger and suspicion again his jaw clenched. "Why didn't you tell me before Dom?" he spewed between his teeth  
  
"Leon. C'mon man, think. What would you have done if I had told you earlier?" I asked him in frustration.  
  
The flicker in his eyes told me that he realized that I had made the best choice under the circumstances. He nodded, understanding my reasoning, and allowed the tension to be released from his jaw, and fists. He leaned back against the hood with a sigh.  
  
"Who is it?" Leon asked me grimly.  
  
"We don't know yet man. But Jesse is running the---"  
  
"Dom I got a match!" Jesse yelled as he ran towards us from the garage. Before Jesse could reach me, Leon had snatched the slip of paper out of his hands.  
  
"Who the hell is it?" Leon growled as he searched the paper for information.  
  
"Tricky bastards. That's why it took me so long. I found a fake paper trail that took me all over the place and backa gain. I went through fake companies, to fake owners, and then back to fake parent companies---"  
  
"Get to the point Jess." I said firmly.  
  
"Oh, yeah. " Jesse said. "Anyways, it turns out Marco Scillieri was behind the whole trail!" Jesse paused, waiting for our reactions. "Marco Scillieri dudes! Hello? Don't you guys ever read the papers? He is one of the under bosses of the Caponi Crime family!" Jesse's eyes saddened when he realizes what he was saying. His voice trailed off as he said. "He's a real bad-ass..."  
  
Knowing what Jesse was thinking, I looked over at Leon as the name registered with him too. I never saw Leon look like he did at that moment. So desperate, so afraid.  
  
"Dom, what do we do now?." His face went pale.  
  
"Nothing Leon. Sarah is safe in the hospital right now." I answered. "We will get ready for her to come home, and in the meantime, we have our own little army to alert."  
  
********* Leon's POV ********* The bastards found her! My heart sank when Jesse told us who the truck really belonged too. How the hell can I protect her from an entire army of criminals. I know I'm no angel, but I never intentionally hurt someone. I'm not an animal like these guys are. Oh god what do I do.  
  
"Dom, what do we do now?" I pleaded with him to know the answer. This wasn't just Sarah's life in danger. Those bastards know about all of us now. He was at OUR house.  
  
"Nothing Leon. Sarah is safe in the hospital right now." I heard Dom say, but the rest of his words didn't register. All I heard were the words that Sarah was safe, and I realized that there wasn't much I could do right then anyway. When Dom turned to Jesse and began giving him instructions and orders, I walked to the garage, deep in thought. When I finally looked up, I stopped short when I saw my car.  
  
"Oh yeah. Surprise!" Vince said with a devilish grin as he walked around me and swatted me on the back. The car was immaculate and had all the new decals I had been wanting. She looked better than ever. I stared at her and then I stared at Vince. V. grinned at me and jerked his head in Dom's direction saying, "Peace offering man."  
  
I shook my head and glanced back at Dom who was still giving directions to Jesse as they walked into the garage from outside. As I watched him, Dom looked up to where I stood by my ride. We made eye contact for a brief moment, and I nodded to him in thanks. Dom tipped his head in acknowledgment in return. The amends we had needed to make to each other were now completed, and I felt a huge relief knowing that the team and I were back on nearly normal terms again.  
  
It was still early, before lunch, but I didn't care. I walked over to Dom's office and grabbed a beer. I walked out back and sat down on one of the junk cars we use for parts. After a few swigs of the cool brew, I lit up a cigarette and took a deep breath. There were new demons out there, lurking and waiting for Sarah. As I worried about what it meant that someone like Scillieri was having Sarah followed, I decided that the best thing to do would be to not leave her by herself. I was just about to get up to return to the hospital, when Brian came out.  
  
"Hey Leon. How's Sarah doing?"  
  
"She's doing better. Got the tube out today, but she's still weak."  
  
"How much longer is she gonna be there?" Brian asked me.  
  
"Dr. Solomon said at least a week, maybe two, depending on how strong she gets."  
  
Brian just nodded. We were silent for a minute, until Brian spoke up.  
  
"Did ah-- Did Dom tell you about the---"  
  
"Yeah. Jesse found out the owner is Marco Scillieri. Can you believe that shit?"  
  
Brian hunkered down and spoke to me. "Well, I talked to some old connects down at the precinct in the Organized Crime Unit."  
  
I waited for him to continue. Picking up a stick and scratching random squares and figures in the ground, he spoke quietly, like he was just thinking aloud.  
  
"See, they said, that the bosses, -- they usually they put all the vehicles in under one name, and then just spread them out over the country. So it could be anyone at all in that truck Leon. We really don't have any way of knowing. Don't jump to any conclusions yet." He looked across at me, catching my eye and began, "Now that we got the plates---"  
  
"Thanks to your beautiful, smart girlfriend." Mia chimed in as she strutted around the corner to join us, with a big smile across her face.  
  
"Thanks to my amazing, beautiful, talented girlfriend here." Brian stood and gave her a kiss. "We got the plates, and my inside at the station is working on it. He should call me back with any new info. So don't worry. Nine times out of ten, these guys are low level soldiers, just doing some spy work anyway." Brian said.  
  
"Yeah man. But spying for who, and why?" I asked, duding out my cigarette.  
  
"That's what we're gonna find out." Dom voice growled as he also came around the corner, joining us.  
  
"I'm going over to the hospital to talk to your girl today Leon." he said to me.  
  
Surprised by Dom's words, I opened my mouth in protest, but Dom had his hand up silencing me before I could speak.  
  
"Relax, Leon. I ain't gonna upset her. I know that they don't want her upset, or stressed out. I also know that's why you an Mia got kicked out today." he said, looking at me, then over at Mia, who had her head down.  
  
I knew she had explained to him why we were back so early. I stared at her until she looked up and we made eye contact. Our silent conversation consisted of me furrowing my brow, asking her if she told Dom about the baby; and a quick shake of her head, telling me she hadn't. A feeling of relief washed over me.  
  
"You can give Jesse back his keys now that your car is ready." Dom called over his shoulder as he walked back through the garage and out the front to his car. I jumped down off the junk car and ran out to catch up with him before he took off.  
  
"Thanks Dawg." I said to him as I caught up.  
  
He turned to me. "This mean you're not going to throw me up against anymore walls?" he asked with a grin. I dropped my head, feeling stupid and guilty for losing control so easily like I had.  
  
"I'm sorry man.I --" I began to apologize again..  
  
"Don't even stress it. I would have done the same thing in your shoes." he said seriously. I looked up as he reached out and gave my shoulder hard squeeze. I nodded. I was glad that we were back to normal. Smiling, and giving me a final clap on the shoulder, Dom opened the door to his car and slid inside. I watched him pull out and then I turned back to the garage. I felt like doing some work.  
  
I walked over and looked at the job board, but all the assignments were covered. So, I leaned back against the nearby work bench with my chin in my hand, to think about what I could do that could be useful. I pondered the situation for a few minutes, and had just about decided to do an inventory of our parts and supplies when a greasy rag smacked me in the side of the head with a soft thump. Startled, I reached down and retrieved the rag from the floor where it had fallen and turned to see that V was the guilty party.  
  
Waving his arm at me, he barked, "Stop that damn pouting stuff and get your ass over here dude. I need a hand with the rebuild for this mother." Then he threw a second greasy, wadded up rag. That one I caught easily. Grinning at him, I faked throwing the rag back at his head; then pushed away from the bench, and walked over to where Vince was working.  
  
We didn't talk about anything except the engine, and it felt good to have the distraction.  
  
******* Dom's POV ******* I walked down the hallway to Sarah's room. I hadn't been back to the hospital since the day of the accident, and I really didn't know what to expect. I had just hung up after talking with Letty and she was coming up in another hour or so, to make amends with Sarah too. She had wanted to come up with me, but I told her I thought it would be better if I said my peace alone to Sarah. Letty didn't protest and agreed that she would come by in an hour. I walked on down the hall to Sarah's room and when I paused in her doorway, I saw her staring at the window across from her bed, and looking out at the sky. The day was warm, and the sky was the brightest blue it had been in a while. The clouds looked like cotton balls scattered throughout the sky. I hadn't even realized how nice the day was until I saw her transfixed by the vision. I smiled to myself, glad to see her looking peaceful and almost happy.  
  
"Nice day out." I said as quietly as I could, so I wouldn't scare her. She still jumped. Then she turned to see me in the doorway. I saw her wince from the pain of her sudden movement.  
  
"Dom?" she asked, wondering why I was there.  
  
"Hey Sarah." I said, putting down some roses I had brought for her.  
  
"Oh! Please bring them to me for a minute" she asked eagerly. I looked at her, a little bit confused, but obliged her request. Sarah's grip was very weak, but she held the bouquet and guided them to her face. When her the roses made contact with her nose, she inhaled as deeply as she could, before letting them go, returning them to my grip.  
  
"I forgot how good they smelled." She smiled weakly. " I forgot how beautiful the sky was; I forgot, how precious life was. You don't think about things like that when you are just running crazy from bullshit" Sarah looked down at her hands before looking back at me. Tears glistened in her eyes, but they didn't fall.  
  
I gently laid the white roses on the table next to her bed and then carefully stepped closer to Sarah's side. "Sarah, you and I -- we um. have to talk. OK?" She just nodded . I took a breath and looked her in the eye again. "Sarah, please don't blame Leon for all of this. I was the one who told him that we had to run the check on you. Leon was never very happy with the whole idea, but I told him we had to."  
  
Sarah's eyes grew wide and she looked at me, perplexed.  
  
"Why did you do that? I don't understand. What did I ever do to you?"  
  
"You didn't do anything Sarah. It is just a rule we have that when someone new comes along and you are bringing them into the family and around the team --- Well, we always check them out first. Nothing major. We just check people out to see if they've ever gotten into any trouble or if they have any unusual or suspicious connections to other people who might create problems for us.  
  
When we ran your name, your boyfriend --  
  
"Ex- boyfriend!!" she quickly corrected me.  
  
"Your ex-boyfriend, popped up, and -- well, we kept digging. I had to make sure you weren't bringing any trouble to the family Sarah. Especially cops." She looked at me even more befuddled.  
  
"Why would you think I---" Cops?" she asked, her forehead wrinkled in confusion.  
  
"Has Leon talked much to you yet?"  
  
"A.little. he was." her face grew pale, and she started to breathe a little more quickly, gasping slightly.  
  
"Sarah! Sarah? Are you ok?." I asked.  
  
For a minute, she stopped talking and tried to catch her breath. When her breathing had slowed a bit more, she looked at me again and said, "Yeah. just takes. a lot out of me" she said in a breathy whisper.  
  
I just nodded. I sat down in a chair near the bed and scooted it closer to her. I took her hand and asked, "Are you in pain?"  
  
"More then you want to know." she said half-smiling. She gave my hand a slight squeeze in reassurance, but I knew she wasn't exaggerating about the pain.  
  
"Is Vince coming back?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know, why?"  
  
"I want to see him. I. need to thank..mmm." An unexpected stab of pain made her hiss and stopped her from finishing her statement, but I knew she wanted to see Vince again to thank him for saving her.  
  
"I'll tell him to come see you Sarah. Please don't talk now. Just listen to me, ok?." I said. Sarah had already been through hell and I didn't want to create any more pain for her.  
  
I continued quietly, trying to keep Sarah calm. "Just don't blame Leon please? He only did like I asked. It was for the team; for our family. The background check on you was my idea."  
  
"But he .lied to me Dom. I trusted him --- and.. he lied." she said forcing out the words. I could see her pain was overwhelming her.  
  
"You need a nurse Sarah?" I asked.  
  
She just nodded her head and gripped my hand tightly as the pain came washing over her. I reached over and hit the buzzer above her head, and held her hand, telling her to stay calm. The nurse came in and checked the monitors, walked over to the IV drip and added some kind of pain relief through the IV set-up. Then she walked to Sarah's side and checked her pulse and touched Sarah's arm as she waited to see the drugs take effect.  
  
After a moment, she patted Sarah's arm in reassurance. "You'll feel much better in a minute." She checked the IV drip one last time and then quietly walked out. I watched Sarah's face relaxing noticeably as the medication slowly pushed her pain away into the background again.  
  
"Thasssome..really powerful shit." she slurred as her eyelids fluttered, lifting and falling. I had to let out a small laugh. It must have been powerful, because I could literally feel the tension leaving her grip on my hand as she relaxed. Her half-closed eyes told me she was beginning to drift back into unconsciousness.  
  
"Sarah, I'm gonna go." I said gently, and brought my other big mitt up to hold her small hand again, squeezing it gently..  
  
"Nooo.. Please.. Stay here Dom. It's so lonely here by myself." Her voiced softened and slurred more. "I lost everything. I lost my life, my friends, my family. I've lost Leon. Can't you jus stay wit me?" she pleaded. She was rambling. Whatever the nurse had given her, had done its work.  
  
"OK, Sarah. It's ok. I'll stay, but you haven't lost anything. You haven't lost anything." I told her. "We're all here for you. Mia and Letty are making a room for you at the house, for when you get home."  
  
"Ssss nodmy home. I don hava home." She whispered mournfully with her eyes closed.  
  
"Yes it is Sarah. You have a home with us now, if you want it. I need your help at the shop, and Mia and Letty want you with us too." I told her. "And you haven't lost Leon either, so just get well and come back to us again, ok?" Her eyes opened again and she looked at me through a haze of tears and the medication.  
  
"Yesssh he did. He lied to me, ... broke.mah. heart... I." her eyelids closed once more and her head rolled to the side as the drug finally knocked her out. I petted the her hand calmly and softly as she slept. I hadn't gotten the chance to tell her everything about us yet, like I wanted to. But I knew her rest was more important than our story, at least for the time being.  
  
******* Letty's POV ******* When I made it to the hospital I felt a twinge of dread in the pit of my stomach. As I made it to the main entrance I saw Dom coming out.  
  
"Hey. Leaving already?"  
  
Giving me a kiss on my forehead he told me, "She's sleeping right now. The nurse gave her something for pain and knocked her right out. I think she may be up again pretty soon though. I just got some---" I cut him off quickly with a kiss.  
  
"What was that for!?" he said smiling, his hands around my waist.  
  
"I'm glad you and Leon talked things out Baby. You'll feel better now. You will both feel better now." Dom just nodded.  
  
"So I'm glad Dom. And now I'll take my turn and make peace with her. I owe her an apology for acting up like I did that day."  
  
Dom gave me a quick hug of encouragement and then said, "She doesn't stay awake long. She might be up for about 15 minutes at a time because she is still in a lot of pain."  
  
I nodded without answering and we parted with another kiss before I walked into the main lobby of the hospital. Taking the elevator up to her floor, I thought about what I needed to say to Sarah and hoped I could do it right. When I got off on her floor and made it to her hallway, I saw Sarah being supported by two nurses, with a third following her, moving slowly and awkwardly in my direction.  
  
She was still attached by various wires and hoses to her monitors and the third nurse was keeping them from tangling as she made tiny little steps. Sarah was only 2 or 3 rooms down from her own, and as I got closer, I could hear her small whimpers of pain before I reached them.  
  
"God damn it! Let me sit down for a minute! This hurts!" I heard her complain..  
  
"Now, now Ms. Ippolito. We have to get your blood circulating again to prevent any blood clots from the surgery." said the taller nurse. "Doctor Solomon insists. It's for your protection, and the sooner you we can get you on your feet, the better. I know it hurts honey, but that's because you haven't moved anything in a week."  
  
"Let me be.. please.. this..Ahhhhh!" I walked over quickly to the group and tapped one of the nurses on her shoulder. She looked up, recognizing me and stepped aside so that I could help.  
  
"Now that's the attitude I wanna hear girl!" I said smiling as I supported half her weight. Sarah looked over at me in surprise and then started to grin.  
  
"Letty? Where the hell did you---- ? FUCK!" she yelped as her knees began to buckle under her.  
  
Holding on to her with all our strength to keep her from falling, I hollered, "Get her a goddamned wheelchair! She's not gonna make it back to her room this way!" Suddenly I realized a tall black man in whites and gold-rimmed glasses was right behind us with the chair I was yelling for. A shrill little cry of pain escaped Sarah as we set her into the chair, even though we'd been as gentle as possible. I looked up at the black man in thanks and saw his name on his whites. "Tom? Thank you for getting that damn chair here in time. Another minute and we woulda all been on the floor!" I told him. He just grinned and patted Sarah on the shoulder saying, "Can't let the star patient be landing on her butt in our hallway now." She looked up at me defeated, and shook her head. She was panting from the short ordeal, and could only nod when the nurse Tom asked her if she was o.k. now. The nurses all looked at me and I nodded to them that I could get her back to her room. They left to return to their other patients and I took the handles of the chair to take Sarah back to her room.  
  
"This is so bad Letty." Sarah said as I carefully wheeled her back to her room, avoiding all the wires and hoses. There was a tray of food waiting for her. It consisted of a plain piece of toast, half an apple cut into small pieces, and jello.  
  
"Really tempting stuff" I laughed as I helped her back onto her bed. She moaned softly as she got to her feet with my help. A couple of steps and she was soon sitting on the bed. I began to reach for her legs to swing them around, but she stopped me.  
  
"Not yet please. I've been laying in this bed for a week now. I just want to sit up for awhile."  
  
I looked at her, trying to gauge her energy level.  
  
"Please Letty? Just for a minute? They wont even let me shower alone yet." she said pleading.  
  
"OK. Five minutes chica." I said as I moved her table with the food tray to her. Sarah slowly picked up the fork and tried to lift a bit of jello to her mouth, but cried out again.  
  
"Fuck! I can't.do..anything.." Sarah's breath began to get shorter and more labored as her frustration got the best of her. I could see her face wincing as pain hit her hard. I moved quickly and swung her legs around and onto the bed. grabbing all her pillows, I put everything behind her back and helped ease her back, and tried to get her comfortable.  
  
"Thanks Letty. Just please don't leave ok? .I jus..need to rest." she said closing her eyes. I pulled her table with the food tray away and sat down on the edge of her bed. Taking one her hands, I smoothed her hair away from her forehead.  
  
"Girl, I won't leave you. I promise." I assured her. Sarah half opened her eyes, and smiled before drifting off to sleep for a bit. After sitting quietly with her for 5 or 10 minutes, I went out to the nurse's station and asked them how long her doc had said she was going to be there.  
  
The nurse Tom looked down at her chart and said, "Well, we started her on her bland diet today, and got her walking. That is excellent progress. The lady is still hurting, but if she continues with such good results she should be able to be released in a week to ten days." He looked up at me and smiled in encouragement.  
  
"That's good to know. So what about when she comes home? What do we do for her then?" I asked.  
  
"Keep her comfortable and make sure she takes her medications." chirped the smaller nurse. "The Dr. will give her some breathing exercises to rebuild the strength in her lungs. Those will be very important.  
  
Tom nodded and added, "Doctor Solomon will go over all of this in better detail with all of you before she is released. Is her room at home upstairs or down?"  
  
"It's upstairs. Why?" I answered.  
  
"That might be good. Again, it depends on what the Doctor wants for her, but getting her to move a round a little bit every day will help with her recovery. Also." Tom paused thoughtfully.  
  
"What?" I said impatiently. "Also what?"  
  
"Well, it will be important to watch out for any signs of depression she could develop. It can be pretty common with patients in her condition. She may feel helpless and frustrated; or like a burden. If you can just make her feel comfortable and encourage her, she should be fine."  
  
I walked back to her room and walked up to her bed in time to see her stirring. I sat down in the chair next to her bed just as she opened her eyes.  
  
"Hey slugger." I said with a sly smile.  
  
She let out a small weak laugh and nodded over at her table with the food.  
  
I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. "You really wanna eat that stuff?"  
  
With a wry grin she said, "I haven't had any solid food in a week. I'm up for just about anything right now." she said. I moved the table with its tray over and helped her adjust her bed so that she was sitting completely upright. I stopped her before she could pick up the fork again. Taking the spoon instead, I slowly fed her the jello, a little bit at a time.  
  
"Better not tell anyone I'm being nice and doing this. You'll wreck my reputation." I growled with a sarcastic grin. Sarah grinned, but it quickly faded into a sad look. She took my hand, stopping me from giving her another spoonful of jello.  
  
"Letty I --- thank you for coming to see me." she said softly.  
  
I slowly put down the spoon and then looked down at my hands before speaking. "Sarah. I'm really sorry for jumping down your throat like I did that day." With a sigh, I continued. "I have a problem with a real jealous streak in me and I let my emotions and my suspicions get out of control that day and took it out on you. I apologize for being such a bitch. It wasn't right and I am embarrassed that I did that in front of everyone. I try hard to not be that way, but when it comes to how I love Dom," --- and I broke off. Starting over again I said, "If I had just slowed down and thought carefully about the situation, I would have known better. I'd already seen the way you and Leon---"  
  
"There is no me and Leon." Sarah stated bluntly and angrily.  
  
I looked up startled. "But Sarah, you can't --" I began  
  
"No Letty. I'm not going to let it slide. Leon lied to me." she said. Taking a slow breath, she continued. "I vowed to myself when I left NJ, that I wouldn't put up with anymore lies from any man. When I met him, I thought Leon was different. Her eyes closed in hurt and then opened again. "But I found out that Leon is just like the rest of them. Actually he's worse, because he pretended to be on my side. So, there is no me and Leon."  
  
I had no answer for her. I just nodded and reached for her spoon again to continue feeding her jello. After a few more small bites, she said "Letty?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I can't stay with you guys anymore."  
  
"What!" I said shocked.  
  
"I mean, I'll find some place to recover," she continued calmly. "Then I'm leaving California."  
  
I could hear the strain in her voice, and looking at her closely, I could see uncertainty and confusion in her eyes.  
  
Trying to be firm and sensible with her, I replied "Sarah, no. You can't just leave like that. Why would you---?"  
  
"There's no reason for me to stay Letty. I'll just be in the way. The last thing any of you need is some invalid hanging around that you all have to take care of."  
  
"Dom's not going to like hearing this Sarah. He already has all of us planning out how to help you recover, and Mia and I are fixing up the upstairs office into a bedroom for you!"  
  
"Oh no Letty!" she said in dismay and stuttered, "I can't do that! I'm a liability to you all -- maybe even a real danger!"  
  
I pushed the table with its food aside again and reached for both of Sarah's hands. "Stop Sarah! It'll be ok. You have to have a safe place to stay until you're recovered girl. You have to swallow that pride stuff and let us help. Dom and Mia will be so bummed if you don't let them help. Stay with us, please? Then once you're back on your feet, you can do whatever you want, ok?!" (Please God. Say 'yes' Sarah, please!)  
  
Sarah looked at me in stunned silence and then out the window. After what seemed like forever, she returned her gaze to me. For long moments she still didn't speak, as she looked hard into my eyes, searching for something.  
  
Finally, I wrinkled my brow in a silent plea for her answer and she spoke with a sigh. "Ok, Let. But, only until I'm well. Then I'll have to leave. I know Anthony is looking for me." Her shoulders rounded and she looked away from me. "Last time he found me by searching through hospital records. I'm afraid it will only be a matter of time before he finds me again."  
  
I listened to her seriously and prayed that my face didn't betray my thoughts (If you only know how right you are Sarah!)  
  
Instead I smiled with relief and happiness. "Hey girl. You're stuck with us for right now, and there's no way we would let anything happen to you."  
  
"But Letty, that is what I'm the most afraid of. I don't want--- I can't allow anyone else to get hurt like this. I think Anthony. I think it was him that following me.when I crashed. I don't know for sure, but it defiantly fits his M O. I can't allow people to be hurt trying to protect me from him!" Her eyes squeezed shut in frustration, and she leaned her head back on her pillows.  
  
"Sarah honey. We all know about the situation, because of the background search. And Vince already told us about everything that he saw; about the SUV; about it dogging you and everything.. Dom's already on it, and the family can deal."  
  
Sarah's head jerked up and she leaned forward from her pillows. "No!" she exclaimed. "Tell Dom he has to back off! This is too dangerous. Tell him to back off, please Letty." she gasped. "I don't want any of you to get hurt because of me." Just as I began to worry about her breathing, a monitor's beeping went off in the background. As Sarah leaned forward watching me and pleading with her eyes, I saw faint signs of confusion in them and then her eyelids began to get heavy and drop slowly.  
  
"Sarah?" I asked.  
  
Grimacing in frustration, Sarah answered, "Its..the damn morphine feed. Don't worry." She re-focused her eyes and looked at me seriously again and said with great effort. "Dom. Just tell Dom I beg him to back off." Again her eyes lost focus and her words slurred and faded out until she succumbed to drug induced slumber. I waited quietly, but anxiously for a few minutes before I walked away from her bed and over to the doorway of the room.  
  
God, was Sarah right? Or was she just paranoid about Anthony? I called Dom on the cell phone.  
  
When Dom answered, I said, "Dom, I told Sarah about the truck."  
  
"Letty! Why?! I thought we discussed ---"  
  
"It's ok Dom. Relax. Sarah brought it up herself. But she was really determined about wanting the team to back off. She's says it is way too dangerous for us to get involved. I just wanted to be sure that you knew what happened here and what she said about it."  
  
"Letty, I don't care about Anthony or his threats. Nobody ever messes with one of our own and gets away with it." Dom growled. Wow, Dom said one of our own. He hasn't been this determined to take care of something since the Tran incident.  
  
"I know, you're right, but there's more. She said she didn't want to stay with us. She said she'd be a burden and wanted to stay somewhere else to recoup, and then leave California when she is back to normal! I think I finally convinced her to stay with us, but it was close!" Trying not to panic again, I took a deep breath and continued. "Dom, I talked to the nurses too and they said that depression is a common side-effect of surgery. And when I tried to talk to her about Leon she went off about him lying and all. Every time I mention his name, she ---"  
  
"I know Letty. She keeps saying she doesn't want to have anything to do with him."  
  
"I can understand her feelings, but Dom, Leon is mad for the girl and I know damn well she has feelings for him. What the fuck are we ---  
  
*"Mira Letty, venga hogar." Dom interrupted me gently. "I'm going to send Vince and Jesse up there to see her. She was asking for Vince earlier anyway. Maybe our constant attention and presence will wear down her resistance, o.k?"  
  
**"Bueno. Lo amo Dominic." I whispered.  
  
***"Lo amo más, mi corazón." he replied and we hung up.  
  
I turned and walked back to Sarah's side. Pulling her blanket up around her small shoulders, I kissed her forehead gently before leaving.  
  
================================== * Look Letty, come home.  
  
**OK. I love you Dominic.  
  
***I love you more, my heart. 


	23. chp 23

TITLE: Running (TFATF - FanFic)  
  
AUTHOR: Daaasl  
  
CHAPTER 23 of many chapters  
  
RATING: R for language, violence and some sex  
  
DISCLAIMER: The characters from TFATF belong to Universal films. No profit is being made from this work, and any copyright infringement is entirely unintentional. All other characters created for this fiction are mine, and should not be used in other materials or websites without my permission.  
  
ARCHIVE: You can find previous chapters at: http://www.realmofvindiesel.homestead.com Anyone else wanting to post my fanfic on their site, please check with me.  
  
FEEDBACK: Please. I like to know what you think. But be gentle and constructive. ======================================= Running by Daaasl  
  
Chapter 23  
  
The last week has been pure hell. My daily routine consists of being poked, prodded, forced to walk around in pain, receiving less and less of my morphine shots, and just today I am beginning my breathing exercises as soon as the rest of the tubes in my side are removed.  
  
I am on a better diet at least. I have graduated to scrambled eggs and toast in the morning, and baked chicken breast and salad for dinner. It's so much better then dry toast and green Jello. The team comes to visit me at least once a day. They spread out their visits so I get to see everyone for about a half hour at a time. Letty and Mia always come together. Letty sneaks me in Starburst candies -- one pack a day, even though I'm not supposed to have the sugar yet. Since I am totally banned from smoking, the Starburst candies help keep me sane.  
  
The girls are great, and they stay the longest. They both help me take a shower everyday, since my arm is still filled with stitches and covered in bandages. Letty holds my arm up and keeps the tubes and monitors out of the way while Mia helps me wash. At first I was embarrassed; not only by them seeing me naked, covered in all my old battle wounds, but because I felt so helpless. Even when Anthony beat me bad, I had never been this helpless before. It's frustrating, but after a while, it just became second nature and I don't mind so much anymore.  
  
"C'mon girl, we can dry you off, and put you in some regular clothes today." Mia said cheerfully as she pulled out some cotton night shirts from a shopping bag.  
  
"You guys have been awesome." I said as she helped the night shirt over my head before helping me back to my bed.  
  
"Here." Letty said as she palmed a Starburst in my hand and gave me a wink.  
  
"Letty! Stop feeding that girl candy!" Mia shouted at Letty. Then we all looked at each other and started laughing. Although I could muster was a giggle, it was still more then I could do a week ago.  
  
"Letty?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Could you braid my hair for me? It keeps getting in my way."  
  
She smiled and hopped up on the bed behind me, with her legs on either side. Mia pulled up a chair and began to paint my nails. "No rule saying you can't look good in a hospital, right?"  
  
I just smiled. I was so glad God gave me these two women for my friends. They made me feel so much better about myself. We sat there and talked small talk -- Mia's college classes, Letty wanting to enter a race in a couple of weeks, business at the shop, and guys of course. I noticed how they steered clear of saying or asking anything about Leon, and I can't say that I was unhappy about that. Truth was, I didn't know how to answer any questions they might have had. But there was one thing I needed to find out.  
  
"Have either of you heard anything about my car?!?!?" I asked in hope that it had survived.  
  
Mia started to explain, "We, um - had it towed to the garage to see if we could save it, but ---"  
  
"It was totaled Sarah. I'm sorry." Letty finished quietly, as she combed and parted my damp hair to start braiding it  
  
We were all three silent for a moment. I thought of how much I loved my baby and how much I was going to miss her. I sighed and decided I would have to deal with the issue later.  
  
"You want small braids, or bigger ones?." Letty asked.  
  
"Can you box them for me?"  
  
"Yeah," she said, and started to giggle.  
  
"What?" I asked. What?"  
  
"Nothing bad. I just can't see sweet lil Sarah looking all ghetto with box braids."  
  
"I always wanted them, but Anthony--"  
  
"New rule !" Mia stated loudly and abruptly..  
  
Letty and I jumped in surprise and then looked at her questioningly.  
  
"No more Anthony talk." she said firmly.  
  
"Amen!" Letty hollered behind me. I just grinned at Mia and nodded in agreement  
  
An hour later my hair was done, as well as my nails. Mia was putting away her supplies, when Vince walked in the room.  
  
"Hey ladies." he began and then did a double take and grinned. "Oh My god girl. What did you do to your hair?" My face just lit up as I reached for Vince. He came over and we hugged. I always hold on just a little longer when I'm holding him. The feeling of security is so present when he's around. Every time I see him, I hug him, I just love him so much. He's become a surrogate big brother to me over the last week. And he doesn't seem to mind the role. After we let go, he kissed me on top my head and turned to the girls.  
  
"Well, our work here is done." Mia teased. "We'll see you tomorrow Sarah." she said as we embraced. I hugged Letty and said goodbye, as Vince pulled his chair up next to me.  
  
"I brought you the stuff you asked for." he said handing me a bag. It was filled with magazines, crossword puzzles, and a journal. He also bought me a 12-pack of pens. I held them up and looked at him in question.  
  
"In case these bastards steal them from you. You know how doctors are."  
  
"And how are we?" Dr. Solomon asked as he walked in sporting a big grin.  
  
"Oh.. uh.. not you Doc. You're cool." Vince said as he attempted a quick recovery, but failed.  
  
"Dr. Solomon laughed at Vince and said, "Well, I'm glad you're here. I am taking out the rest of the tubes today, and I could use your help." He walked over to me, putting on his gloves.  
  
"Now Sarah, I'm not going to lie. This is going to hurt. But once the tubing is removed, I can numb your skin up and suture the wounds without further pain , okay?"  
  
I looked over at Vince, pleading with my eyes. Vince smiled and took my hand to reassure me.  
  
"You'll have to take this off." Dr Solomon said pointing at my night shirt. Vince raised his eyebrows at Dr. Solomon and looked uneasy., while Dr. Solomon seemed to be waiting for Vince to leave the room.  
  
Breaking the tension, I laughed and said, "OK. Relax and just help me get out of this shirt V. Brian already told me you saw me topless at the accident." Dr. Solomon just stood there a little dumbfounded, while Vince tucked my blanket around my waist before helping me out of my night shirt. Then he helped as Dr. Solomon rolled me on my right side. Vince leaned in closer to me, so we were at eye level.  
  
"First time I've been in a room with a topless woman and haven't tried to bone her." V said trying to lighten up the mood. The Doctor snorted and I started laughing but then he told me to be still so that he could start removing the tubing.  
  
"V.I'm scared." I whispered as I felt a cool liquid disinfectant being lathered around the tubes and the incisions.  
  
"I'm right here woman. You're gonna be fine. Just think. You won't have to haul all those hoses and wires for monitors with you anymore. It will feel a hell of a lot better once they're out." Vince attempted to smooth my hair, but pulled his hand back and looked disappointed. "Why did you braid your hair?" he asked a little bit grumpy.  
  
"It's always in the way."  
  
"I like it better loose." he said smiling, and stealing a kiss on my forehead before Dr. Solomon announced he was ready to start.  
  
"Ok, now Sarah. When I tell you, I want you to take a deep breath and hold it for as long as you can please." I nodded and looked at V, who winked at me with encouragement.  
  
"Ok, Sarah." said the doctor. Now please."  
  
I sucked in a deep breath and as soon as I felt the air go into my lungs, I felt a pain tearing through my ribs, right to the center of my chest. I squeezed my eyes tight shut, and clenched V's hand. Underneath the pain so bad that I wanted to scream, I could Vince whispering how it was almost done, and how I was doing really great. When the doctor said OK, I finally let go of the air, and let my tears fall freely onto our hands.  
  
"Excellent Sarah, just once more, then you'll be done." the Doctor said.  
  
"No!" I wailed. "No! I can't! It --. hurts too much!." I said between sobs.  
  
"Hang on and give us a second Doc." V said looking up, before bending back down to me.  
  
"C'mon Sarah. This is the last one. Just once more, ok?" V spoke softly.  
  
No Vince! I won't! It hurts too much!" I snapped at him. Vince frowned and looked at me with menace in his eyes, before he stood up and folded his arms over his chest. He cocked his head to one side and said, "OK then. I'm leaving." and he turned to go.  
  
"V! Don't you dare!." I looked up helplessly.  
  
"Then finish it!" he demanded, stepping back to the chair next to my bed and bending over me again.  
  
I whimpered in frustration, but finally nodded my head and grabbed his hand again, hard.  
  
"God! You females are so stubborn." He squeezed my hand and looked in my eyes. "Ready Doc." he said without breaking his gaze, and then he urged me "Do it Sarah!"  
  
I sucked in another breath and felt the pain again. I could hardly believe how much worse the pain was this time and I cried out, "Oh shit! Stop!". And suddenly it did. I gasped, letting the tears pour and sobbed in relief. From somewhere, Vince produced a clean handkerchief and dabbed my cheeks and eyes while comforting me and telling me I was a good girl. My tears slowed and then stopped as the pain receded.  
  
"All done Sarah. That's was the last one. So I'm numbing your skin around the incisions now, and in a couple of minutes, I'll be able to suture you up and you'll be ok." I heard Dr. Solomon say, as sniffed and blew my nose, and then looked over at V.  
  
He had a shit-eating grin on his face.  
  
"Why the hell are you so cheerful and smug?" I asked grumpily.  
  
"Because I knew you would do it." he said and patted my cheek. I wrinkled up my nose at him and made a face, but I couldn't keep from smiling in amusement at his satisfaction in a job well done.  
  
Soon Dr. Solomon was done and Vince helped me turn onto my back. I was so wiped out, and tired from the whole ordeal that I didn't hear the door to my room open. As I slid my arm back into one of the sleeves of my night shirt, I felt Vince pull my blankets up over me, tucking them in. "Hey Dawg." I heard him say nervously. Looking up, I saw Leon standing in the doorway, with a furious look on his face. He was as mad as hell. Great. Just what I needed was for Leon to go off the deep end again with his temper.  
  
"What the fuck is going on here V?!" he shouted. I clutched my blankets and rolled my eyes at Vince as Leon stormed towards us.  
  
"Sarah got the last of the other tubes out just now, and I helped out the Doc." Vince. said, defending himself.  
  
"Is that why she ain't got no fucking clothes on?!" Leon shouted. I winced at the tone in his voice but stayed cool and calm as I told him "Maybe if you had been the one here when the doctor decided to take them out, you could have helped me Leon, but it was Vince who was here so the doctor had him help instead. Then I added in exasperation, "God! Knock off all the machismo bullshit already, will ya?" I said as I got my arm through the other sleeve of my night shirt and began to button back up under the covers.  
  
"Bullshit!" Leon shouted, and flipped over my bed-table with a huge clatter. Luckily my food hadn't arrived, but the noise by itself was pretty shocking. Leon stormed out of the room.  
  
"God damn it Leon!" Vince said and followed him. I could hear their voices speaking low and fierce outside my room, but I couldn't hear the words they were saying. I just knew the two of them were going at it. Soon it got quiet, and Vince came back in.  
  
******** Leon's POV ******** As I walked out of Sarah's room I heard Vince following on my heels. In the hallway outside her room, I whirled around to face him.  
  
"Are you trying to fuck my girl in the hospital V?" I hissed. "What the fuck were you doing in there?" I yelled at him. Before I could say another word, I found myself shoved against the wall behind me with the front of my shirt balled up in Vince's fists. My jacket, that I had been holding in one hand was knocked to the floor and I brought up my forearm to push him off me, but V. had me bulldog tight.  
  
With his nose less than an inch from mine, he glared into my eyes and growled, "Are you fucking stupid or what Leon? Man, how did you get to be such a fool? That girl in there loves you, and instead of kissing her ass like you should be, you make her feel like shit every fucking time you see her." He stared me down, searching my eyes. I glared back. My blood was boiling and my ears were ringing. One more minute and I figured I was going to explode.  
  
"Damn it Leon! Get a hold of yourself bro! There is nothing bad or wrong going on here. Sarah's a good girl. Don't fuck this up man." Vince glared at me, willing me to listen. I kept glaring. My head was about to blow. In disgust, V. shoved himself away from me and went back to Sarah's room. I stood frozen in place with rage. FUCK! Why is it every time I see Sarah, I do everything wrong?! I always fuck it up!  
  
With a shake, I started back to Sarah's room to apologize and ask her to forgive me for being a jerk. As I approached the open doorway, I heard Sarah's voice, filled with anger and fury saying, "... that I'm closer to you, because you're not a lying, snake-hearted son of a bitch like he is?"  
  
My heart stopped. God, did she really think that of me? Still angry too, I asked myself if I really cared if she did. I had to get out of there. Turning around, I grabbed my jacket off the floor and stormed down the hallway. I heard footsteps and turned around to see Vince half-way out of her room, looking at me with a confused frown, silently asking where I was going. I flipped him off an got on the elevator.  
  
******* Vince's POV *******  
  
"I told you he would get upset or jealous of us." I said shaking my head.  
  
Sarah's voice rose in anger "Jealous of what!? That you're my friend? That I'm closer to you, because you're not a lying, snake-hearted son of a bitch like he is?" Suddenly her face contorted in pain and she grabbed her side with a sharp cry, falling back against her pillows and gasping.  
  
I moved quickly to her bedside and said, "I'll talk to him, OK?"  
  
"Oh for God' sake, don't bother. Let him think what he wants." she said as tears began to form in her eyes. She looked at me with desperation, confusion and sadness in her eyes. Her voice trembled as she asked me, "How can I love and hate him so much at the same time?" She managed to say the words before the crying began. I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her into my arms as she sobbed into my chest, her body trembling as sadness wracked her. I hated Leon at that moment  
  
"You two will work it out. Right now, just work on getting better and healing up, OK?" With a deep sigh she nodded against my chest. "You want me to get him for you?" I asked.  
  
"Please."  
  
I walked out of the doorway, into the hall, just in time to see Leon was already down by the elevators. He turned when he heard my steps and I looked at him, throwing my hands up as if to ask where he was going. Leon shot me an evil look, flipped me off, and got on the elevator. Great. Now I had the job of seeing her heart break again. I stood out in the hallway, taking a few deep breaths to control my fury at one of my best friends; my bro. I walked slowly back into her room. I really hated seeing the look of desperation and disappointment in her eyes when she saw that I had returned without him.  
  
"He's gone."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"He left." She started to cry again, and held her side. I sat down on the bed again and put my arms around her, stroking her back gently to comfort her. She timidly curled her arms around my neck as I held her. Slowly her sobs quieted down and I took her chin in my hands and lifted her face to me.  
  
"Don't worry Sar-" I began, but before I could finish my sentence I felt her lips on mine. I went into shock. Leon's girl was kissing me. Her lips felt tender and soft on mine. Her hand carefully cradled my head as she pressed herself into me. For a second I didn't respond. I froze, not knowing what to do. She kissed me timidly and gently, as if asking permission to be this close to me. I didn't respond, but I didn't push her away either. Slowly as her lips warmed mine, I felt a surge of desire rise in me. Slowly; knowing it was wrong, I returned her kiss. The natural male instincts kicked right in. It was exquisite. I had never kissed anyone that way before -- never been kissed like that by anyone else before either. Sarah parted her lips softly and pressed them into mine again, slowly licking my lips as she kissed them. I felt a desire for her like I hadn't felt for anyone in a long time, and before I knew what I was doing, I wrapped her closer in my embrace.  
  
I pulled her closer and felt the overwhelming need for what I felt she was offering me, and then she suddenly gasped and cried out, pulling back. I jumped back instantly and saw that her face was awash in pain. With another cry, she doubled over.  
  
"Sarah! Are you okay? What's wrong!?"  
  
"I think you squeezed me a little too tight." she whispered.  
  
My thoughts raced. Oh my God! Did that just happen? Jesus, please let me be dreaming! I got up and paced, both hands rubbing my head back and forth, trying to collect my thoughts, and force some sense back into my brain.  
  
"Vince?" I heard her faint whisper, filled with sadness.  
  
I stopped pacing and looked at her. She looked at me sadly and apologetically. "I'm.so.. sorry.I.. just.the moment.. .and you.and.and." She got out before she began sobbing really hard this time. My heart raced in a million directions. I wanted to bolt out of the room like lighting; run as far and as fast away from her as possible, for fear of it happening again. I walked three steps to the door and had the handle in my hand, but I stopped. Sarah's sobbing had quieted down to a ragged breathing.  
  
I shut my eyes tightly, trying to will the memory of our kisses away. Then I heard her breathing go from ragged to uncontrollable. I heard Sarah begin to wheeze and I turned to look at her in alarm. Her face had become white and her lips were beginning to turn blue!  
  
Instantly, I crossed the room to her side and gathered her in my arms again, stroking her cheek and forehead.  
  
"Shhh, Sarah, please.please. You have to calm down. C'mon!. Breathe baby. breathe" I tried to calm her down, but her eyes blanked and began to roll back in her head. Hear gasping was getting worse. her monitors began sounding off alarms left and right. My panic set in as she suddenly went limp in my arms, fainting Within a second her room was flooded with doctors and nurses who began working on her immediately. I was pushed out of the way as Dr. Solomon rushed into the room on the heels of another nurse with a cart covered with gear and paddles. I stood helplessly, watching.  
  
"Bag Her!" "Why can't she breathe?" "Her stitches popped!" "Damn it, get those sutures back in and stitch her back together again NOW!" "BP dropping!" "Pulse?" "Fading fast Doc."  
  
Dr. Solomon and a slew of others worked on Sarah, shouting out words and phrases I didn't recognize until finally the heart monitor went flat-line. The shock of hearing the continuous, high-pitched, unending tone sent an bolt of fear and dread through me.  
  
"CLEAR!" shouted Dr. Solomon as he applied the paddles from the cart to Sarah's chest, and her body jerked up and back down with a jolt. A stethoscope was applied to her chest. "Nothing" "CLEAR!" Another shock, and another leap of her small body. I was pushed out of the room, but I fought the whole way out. I may have accidentally taken out one of the nurses in the process, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to leave Sarah alone.  
  
****** Sarah's POV ****** Where am I? What's going on? I'm dazed, disconnected and confused. I look around and I see that I am still in my hospital room, but everything is so quiet. I can hear Vince's voice calling to me. Why does he sound so far away? I look over my shoulder, and there I am. I'm in my hospital bed, surrounded by nurses and doctors who are trying to start my heart by shocking me back to life. I see Vince fighting with a group of nurses who are pushing him out of the room. He is calling out to me and trying to get back to my bedside. I hear him shouting his apologies for hurting me, calling to me. I want to answer him and tell him it is OK, but then I hear another voice.  
  
I hear it. I hear the voice as sweet as sugar that rings throughout my being. It is a voice that I love; that I haven't heard in years. As I turn to the sweet voice, suddenly everything else is gone. There is nothing else left but me and the beautiful voice that my heart adores. My eyes search frantically, and I see a light -- a light that grows softly and steadily, turning brighter and whiter, taking up more and more of the space before me.  
  
"Go back Baby. Go back Sarah."  
  
"Mom?" I whimper her name as I see her form coalesce out of the warm, glowing light before me. God she is beautiful. I had forgotten how majestic my mother was.  
  
"Go back Sarah. You aren't finished yet darling." Her sweet smile and loving eyes find mine.  
  
"No mom! Please. I want to go with you. Everything is so wrong. It's so bad. I am so lonely. Please mom? Let me stay with you. I miss you so much -- all the time." I call to her, reaching for her.  
  
"Tell them baby. It's time to tell them everything. You must tell them about me and about your pain. It's all right to trust them."  
  
"No! I don't want to ever leave you again! Mama, please take me with you." I beg her.  
  
"But I've never left you Sarah. I am always with you baby. Always in your heart and soul. Always." She moved towards me, smoothly as if floating and I was finally in her embrace again. All of my fears and my worries wash away when I feel my mother's tender and comforting touch again, and smell the familiar, faint scents of baby powder and roses that always surround her.  
  
"I love you mama." I whisper, as she lifts me in her arms and carries me back to my room. She lays me down gently on my body and I felt myself melting back in and becoming anchored once more. I feel heavy and sleepy, and I begin drifting towards unconsciousness again. I hear my mother's sweet voice telling me softly, "Sleep baby. It's all right. His heart is true and he'll never leave you."  
  
I try to push myself back up, to see her; to reach for her arms again.  
  
"Wait! Who? Who won't leave me? What do I do mama? Mama!"  
  
She floats away and blows me a last, soft kiss.  
  
"Always follow your heart Sarah, and listen with your soul. I am always here with you love. Always."  
  
Suddenly the sounds of monitors fill my ears and pain rejoins me in my body again. I feel as though I have been pulled through a tunnel. I feel weak and exhausted, not only physically, but emotionally as well. I hear the doctors and nurses around me in the room and I realize that one of the background murmurs that I can hear, is my own rhythmic heartbeat, broadcasting from one of the monitors.  
  
"She's back with us ladies and gentleman. Good work. Her pulse is a bit weak, but steady. The pulse rate is good. Make sure she stays sutured up. I don't want her losing anymore oxygen." Then I feel myself slipping away, drifting deeper into the welcoming arms of dark, velvet sleep.  
  
The next time I am aware of my surrounding, I don't hear the doctors or nurses anymore. I feel warmth on my face, but I'm still too weak and dazed to open my eyes. Everyone must think I am sleeping or unconscious, but I'm awake -- just not in the normal sense of the word.  
  
"Sarah, I'm so sorry. Don't ever scare me like that again.." It's Vince. The warmth on my cheek is his face pressed gently to mine. I want to hold him and tell him, that this was not his fault. but I can't even manage a whisper, let alone find the strength to open my eyes.  
  
"Leon is on his way. I called him. He's only a minute away, so he'll be here soon. I know why you did it Sarah. I feel the same. mixed up. like you too. but I can't hurt Leon, and I won't hurt you. You are better off with me as your friend, honey. I'm your big brother. I can take of you better that way. I'm horrible boyfriend material. I'm too pushy, too scruffy, too possessive and way to ornery. I promise you, I know this is better." I feel V's lips on my forehead and then my cheek. I feel the warmth of his hand as he takes mine. With all that is going on around me, I am still only able to focus my thoughts on the joy of seeing my mother. She came to me! I was able to see her again! I feel such heartache, and regret that she and I couldn't have stayed together. Tears leak from my eyes beneath my weighted eyelids. I feel Vince carefully dabbing them from my cheeks with his handkerchief again.  
  
"What is it Sarah? Please. I don't think I can bear any more of your tears." V says in a broken whisper.  
  
With all of the strength I have left, I force myself to tell him. My mother said it was okay to trust them, and my mother had never lied to me. She came all that way to tell me it was okay to start breaking down the walls -- my walls that I had so carefully erected.  
  
In this moment, I feel my courage rising up in a wave, like I never have before. I struggle to speak, but can only produce a faint, whispered gurgle. I force the pain down once more, gather my courage and strength again and force my heavy eyes to open. As my head swirls, I am able to see Vince's worried face watching me. I focus all my determination and will and manage to utter one word.  
  
"Mama." 


End file.
